• In aqueous solution they are only slightly ionised, to give low concentrations of hydronium ions and alkanoate ions (often called carboxylate ions)

• This?partial ionisation?in solution means that carboxylic acids are?weak acids
• This means that the position of the equilibrium lies to the left and that the concentration of H+?is much smaller than the concentration of the carboxylic acid
• However, the concentration of hydrogen ions is sufficient to react with an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate to produce carbon dioxide
• These reactions are a useful test for the possible presence of a carboxylic acid:
  • Sodium carbonate: 2RCOOH + Na2CO3?→ 2RCOO-Na+?+ CO2?+ H2O
  • Ionic equation with carbonates: 2RCOOH + CO32-?→ 2RCOO-?+ CO2?+ H2O
  • Sodium hydrogen carbonate: RCOOH + NaHCO3?→ RCOO-Na+?+ CO2?+ H2O
  • Ionic equation with hydrogen carbonates: RCOOH + HCO3-?→ RCOO-?+ CO2?+ H2O

Carboxylic acids are weak acids that do not fully dissociate in water, the position of the equilibrium lies to the left

Reaction with LiAlH4

• Carboxylic acids can undergo reduction when they react with a reducing agent such as?lithium tetrahydridoaluminate,?LiAlH4,?suspended in dry ether at room temperature
• A carboxylic acid will be reduced to a primary alcohol, for example

CH3CH2COOH (l) + 4[H] → CH3CH2CH2OH (l) + H2O (l)

• Addition of water at the end will destroy any excess lithium tetrahydridoaluminate

Reaction with bases

• Carboxylic acids can form salts with metals, alkalis and carbonates.
• In the reaction with?metal oxides?a metal salt and hydrogen gas are produced
  • For example in reaction with magnesium the salt magnesium ethanoate is formed:

2CH3COOH (aq) + MgO (s) → (CH3COO)2Mg (aq) + H2O (l)

• In the reaction with?alkalis?a salt and water are formed in a neutralisation reaction
  • For example in reaction with potassium hydroxide the salt potassium ethanoate is formed:

CH3COOH (aq) + KOH (aq) → CH3COOK (aq) + H2O (l)

• In the reaction with?carbonates?a metal salt, water and carbon dioxide gas are produced
  • For example in reaction with potassium carbonate the salt potassium ethanoate is formed:

2CH3COOH (aq) + K2CO3?(s) → 2CH3COOK (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2?(g)

Reaction with phosphorus(V) chloride?

• Carboxylic acids react with solid phosphorus(V) chloride to form an acyl chloride
• For example, propanoic acid will react with phosphorus(V) chloride to form propanoyl chloride, phosphorus trichloride oxide and hydrogen chloride

CH3CH2COOH (l) + PCl5?(s) → CH3CH2COCl (l) + POCl3?(l) + HCl (g)

• In this reaction, steamy fumes of HCl are produced
• The liquid products can be separated by fractional distillation

Reaction with alcohols

• When carboxylic acids react with alcohols an ester is formed
• Esters?are compounds with an -COOR functional group and are characterised by their?sweet?and?fruity?smells
• They are prepared from the?condensation?reaction between a?carboxylic acid?and?alcohol?with?concentrated H2SO4?as?catalyst
  • This is also called?esterification

   

• The first part of the ester’s name comes from the alcohol and the second part of the name comes from the carboxylic acid
  • E.g. Propanol and ethanoic acid will give the ester propyl ethanoate

   

Esters are formed from the condensation reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols