Acetic acid reacts separately with the following alcohols. The rate of esterification is highest for

Question

Acetic acid reacts separately with the following alcohols. The rate of esterification is highest for (A)  CH3OH  (B)  C2H5OH  (C)  (CH3)2CHOH  (D)  (CH3)3COH

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

As the hydrocarbon part (R) of the alcohol increases, the tetrahedral intermediate (I) formed during esterification becomes more and more crowded and hence the rate of esterification decreases accordingly. Thus, the smallest alcohol, i.e., CH3OH reacts at the fastest rate CH3- oversetO mathop overset mathbf|| mathopC -OH xrightarrowH+CH3- overset+OH mathop overset mathbf|| mathopC -OH xrightarrowROH underset texttetrahedral textintermediate text(i) mathop[ H3C undersetOR oversetOH mathop overset mathbf| mathop oversetC mathop| OH ] xrightarrow-H2O underset textester mathopCH3- oversetO mathop overset mathbf|| mathopC -OR

Q. Acetic acid reacts separately with the following alcohols. The rate of esterification is highest for

$C H_{3} O H$

$C_{2} H_{5} O H$

$(C H_{3})_{2} C H O H$

$(C H_{3})_{3} CO H$

Q. Acetic acid reacts separately with the following alcohols. The rate of esterification is highest for

CH3​OH

C2​H5​OH

(CH3​)2​CHOH

(CH3​)3​COH

$C H_{3} O H$

$C_{2} H_{5} O H$

$(C H_{3})_{2} C H O H$

$(C H_{3})_{3} CO H$