When ethanol reacts with acetic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst to form an ester, which bond specifically breaks in the alcohol?
Q1. When ethanol reacts with acetic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst to form an ester, which bond specifically breaks in the alcohol?
Answer: O-H bond of alcohol
Explanation: Isotopic labeling experiments prove that during esterification, the O-H bond of the alcohol and the C-OH bond of the acid are broken.