What is reaction of Acetic acid and methyl alcohol product?
The reaction of acetic acid and methanol affords water and an ester, namely methyl methanoate. The mechanism of this reaction can involves two pathways. In one, the hydroxyl hydride is displaced by a strong base, leaving a methanoate anion, which nucleophilically attacks the methyl group of the alcohol. Also, the carbonyl double bond of the acid can form a bond with the methyl group. The hydroxyl group of what used to be methanol leaves. Immediately following, the O-H bond of the acetic acid collapses to form a carbonyl, a proton is abstracted, which reacts with the hydroxide left from the loss of hydrogen from the water to form methyl methanoate and water.
