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Ester Reactions: Saponification definitions

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  • Saponification
    A reaction where hydroxide ions cleave an ester bond, forming a carboxylate anion and an alcohol.
  • Hydroxide ion
    An ion with a negative charge, OH-, that reacts with esters in saponification.
  • Ester
    A compound that reacts with hydroxide ions in saponification to form a carboxylate anion and alcohol.
  • Carboxylate anion
    The negatively charged conjugate base of a carboxylic acid formed in saponification.
  • Alcohol
    A product of saponification formed when an ester bond is cleaved by hydroxide ions.
  • Conjugate base
    A species formed by the loss of a proton (H+) from a carboxylic acid, resulting in a negative charge.
  • Esterification
    The process opposite to saponification, where an ester is formed from an alcohol and a carboxylic acid.
  • Carboxylic acid
    An acid that loses an H+ to form a carboxylate anion during saponification.
  • Aqueous
    A term describing a solution where water is the solvent, as in aqueous OH- used in saponification.
  • Carbonyl
    A functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom, involved in ester bonds.