Which of the following statements about how acid catalyses the hydrolysis of est

Question

Which of the following statements about how acid catalyses the hydrolysis of esters is

(are) correct?

A. The acid catalyst increases the rate of formation of the tetrahedral intermediate by

protonating the carbonyl and thereby increasing the reactivity of the carbonyl group.

B. The acid catalyst increases the rate of the reaction by changing the basicity of the group

eliminated when the tetrahedral intermediate collapses.

C. The acid catalyst protonates the water, the nucleophile in the reaction, and thereby makes it

a stronger nucloephile.

D. All of the above

E. Both A and B

Explanation / Answer

A. True: In the first step of ester hydrolysis, the ester takes a proton (a hydrogen ion). which gets attached to one of the lone pairs on the oxygen which is double-bonded to the carbon and hence increases the rate of formation of tetrahedral intermediate.

B. True : By protonation of the leaving group the molecule of ethanol is lost from the ion. That's one of the products of the reaction.

C. Wrong

So answer : Both A and B.

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