Learning outcomes - after studying this topic, you should be able to:

• give the products from the reaction of a carboxylic acid with a base and recognize that this is a reversible reaction
• predict the product of the reduction of a carboxylic acid and give the reagents required to perform this reaction
• identify carboxylic acid derivatives as acid halides, acid anhydrides, thioesters, esters and amides
• give the products obtained upon hydrolysis of these carboxylic acid derivatives
• recognize that acid halides are more reactive than esters which are, in turn, more reactive than amides
• predict the products that will be formed when a carboxylic acid derivative is treated with an alcohol or amine
• give the reagents required for the interconversion of carboxylic acid derivatives

• Chapter 23 (in )

Organic acids and bases Contributed by Adam Bridgeman