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Two Paired "Le Chatelier" Reactions

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John J. Cawley

Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085

J. Chem. Educ., 1995, 72 (7), p 657

DOI: 10.1021/ed072p657

Publication Date: July 1995

Abstract

We have created a two-week, two hour-per-week cyclic experiment, which pairs two reactions. These reactions, the acid catalyzed esterification to yield n-amyl acetate and the base catalyzed hydrolysis of n-amyl acetate are intended to serve as a first and last experiment respectively, of the second-semester laboratory for liberal arts students. Because of time constraints, we have modified these experiments so that no distillation is performed as a purification step.The notion of achieving yields beyond the equilibrium value is discussed in terms of the pragmatics of removing one of the products of an equilibrium. Because of this "Le Chatelier" aspect of each reaction, each of them may be pushed in practicality to completion, which is well beyond the equilibrium value expectation.Because of the cycle, the chemistry may be done on a scale well beyond the microscale approach with little loss of material.