What is the reaction between methanol and ethanoic acid when heated?

Methanol is a alcohol with the formula CH3OH.

Ethanoic acid is a acid, C2H4O2.

And alcohol and Acid form an Ester, and in this case methyethanoate CH3COOCH3 and water.

The reaction between methanol (CH3OH) and ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) when heated is an esterification reaction. It results in the formation of a specific ester known as methyl ethanoate or methyl acetate (CH3COOCH3).

To understand the reaction, we need to know the general mechanism of esterification. Esters are formed by the combination of an alcohol (such as methanol) and a carboxylic acid (such as ethanoic acid) in the presence of an acid catalyst (usually sulfuric acid, H2SO4).

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the reaction between methanol and ethanoic acid:

1. Protonation: When heated, a small amount of sulfuric acid is added to the mixture. The sulfuric acid acts as a catalyst, enhancing the reaction rate. It donates a proton (H+) to the ethanoic acid, resulting in the formation of an ethanoic acid cation (CH3COOH2+).

2. Nucleophilic Attack: The lone pair of electrons on the oxygen atom of methanol acts as a nucleophile and attacks the acidic carbon in the ethanoic acid cation. As a result, one oxygen-hydrogen bond in methanol is broken, and a new oxygen-carbon bond is formed between methanol and ethanoic acid. This step leads to the formation of an intermediate molecule called a protonated ester.

3. Deprotonation: The protonated ester loses a proton (H+) from the oxygen atom of the methanol molecule. This deprotonation step generates the desired ester, methyl ethanoate (CH3COOCH3), and regenerates the sulfuric acid catalyst.

Overall, the reaction can be summarized as follows:

Methanol (CH3OH) + Ethanoic Acid (CH3COOH) → Methyl Ethanoate (CH3COOCH3) + Water (H2O)

It's worth noting that esterification reactions are reversible, and the direction of the reaction can be influenced by adjusting the reaction conditions and the concentrations of the reactants.