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How can water removal increase the yield of Fischer esterification?
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carboxylic acid
Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.
Fischer esterification is an equilibrium reaction, meaning it does not proceed to completion on its own and results in a mixture containing the carboxylic acid, alcohol, ester, and water.1
According to the principles of chemical equilibrium, removing one of the products from the reaction mixture shifts the equilibrium position toward the formation of more products to compensate for the loss. By using distillation to continuously remove the water produced during the reaction, the equilibrium is driven forward, thereby increasing the overall yield of the ester. Alternatively, using a large excess of one of the reactants can also help push the reaction toward completion.1