Problems and exercisesEster Formation
1. Fischer esterification
Write the product of the reaction of benzoic acid with an excess of methanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of H2SO4. How can the equilibrium be shifted towards the ester?
2. Where does the oxygen come from?
If the esterification of acetic acid is carried out with 18O-labelled methanol (CH318OH), where does the isotope end up: in the ester or in the water?