Topic: Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
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Practice Test
Practice test one is for carboxylic acids and esters whereas practice test two is for carboxylic acids, esters, acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides.
Practice Test 1 & Mark Scheme
Practice Test 2 & Mark Scheme
Deep Thinking Challenges
Reading Beyond A-Level
The reactivity of acyl compounds in nucleophilic addition-elimination reactions follows the general order: Acyl Chloride > Acid Anhydride > Carboxylic Acid ≈ Ester.
Analyse the electronic structure of the functional group in each of these compounds. Construct a detailed argument explaining how the subtle interplay between two opposing electronic effects—the electron-withdrawing inductive effect of the leaving group and the electron-donating mesomeric (resonance) effect from lone pairs on the adjacent oxygen or chlorine atoms—determines the overall electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon and thus dictates this observed hierarchy of reactivity.