Polyester formation co reactant
Diols condense with dicarboxylic acids to form polyesters.
- Reagents
- dicarboxylic acid
- Conditions
- heat; remove water
- Reaction class
- condensation polymerisation
- Equation
- n diol + n dicarboxylic acid -> polyester + water
Overview
Diols condense with dicarboxylic acids to form polyesters.
Transformation
- Equation
- n diol + n dicarboxylic acid -> polyester + water
- Reagents
- dicarboxylic acid
- Environment
- heat; remove water
- Reaction class
- condensation polymerisation
- Mechanism
- polyesterification
- Evidence level
- textbook core
Scope and limitations
- Scope
- Diols supply the second bifunctional monomer in polyester formation.
- Limitations
- This co-reactant branch points to the same polymerisation represented by the dicarboxylic-acid route.
Related reactions
- Dihydroxylation: Alkenes → Diols
Cold, dilute manganate(VII) oxidises an alkene to a vicinal diol without the oxidative cleavage associated with stronger conditions.
- Polyester formation: Dicarboxylic acids → Polyesters
Dicarboxylic acids condense with diols to form polyesters.
- Epoxide hydrolysis: Epoxides → Diols
Protonation activates the strained ring toward attack by water. Backside attack breaks one C-O bond; proton transfer leaves hydroxyl groups on adjacent carbons, with an anti relationship when ring geometry makes that distinction meaningful.
References
- Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Chemistry specificationPearson Education Limited · Pearson qualifications · 2024
Supports the textbook-core organic reaction routes used for displayed route and mechanism content.