Final answer:
The acid-catalyzed reaction of acetic acid and methanol to form methyl acetate involves several steps, including protonation, formation of a tetrahedral intermediate, and deprotonation. The acid catalyst, represented by H3O+, facilitates these steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The acid-catalyzed reaction of acetic acid and methanol to form methyl acetate involves several steps in its mechanism. Here is the mechanism shown with all the curved arrows:
- The first step is protonation of methanol by the acid catalyst, which is represented by H3O+.
- Then, the protonated methanol reacts with the acetic acid to form a tetrahedral intermediate.
- In the next step, the tetrahedral intermediate loses a water molecule and forms the ester product, methyl acetate.
- The final step involves deprotonation of the tetrahedral intermediate by H3O+ to regenerate the acid catalyst.