ABSTRACT
Carboxylic acids are the prototype organic acid. They are the parent compounds of an entire family of molecules called acid derivatives. An acid chloride is somewhat more reactive than an acid anhydride, but they are close in reactivity, and significantly more reactive than an ester. The reason for the enhanced reactivity of the acid chloride in acyl addition reactions is because chlorine is a better leaving group than an acyl group of the anhydride and much better than the OR group of an ester. The acid–base reaction is the fastest reaction possible, giving the ammonium salt of the acid, dimethylammonium butanoate. The complete hydrolysis of a nitrile gives a carboxylic acid. “Partial hydrolysis” limits the hydrolysis conditions to isolate the amide, which is an intermediate product on the path to the carboxylic acid. Borane will reduce an acid faster than an ester, a nitro compound, a nitrile, or many other functional groups.
