Carboxylic acid esters

Structure and bonding

Esters derived from carboxylic acids and alcohols contain a carbonyl group C=O, which is a divalent group at C atom, which gives rise to 120° C–C–O and O–C–O angles. Unlike amides, carboxylic acid esters are structurally flexible functional groups because rotation about the C–O–C bonds has a low barrier. Their flexibility and low polarity is manifested in their physical properties; they tend to be less rigid (lower melting point) and more volatile (lower boiling point) than the corresponding amides. The pK_a of the alpha-hydrogens on esters of carboxylic acids is around 25 (alpha-hydrogen is a hydrogen bound to the carbon adjacent to the carbonyl group (C=O) of carboxylate esters).