hemiacetal vs acetal

Question

Acetal formation from hemiacetal requires removal of:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Equation**: $Aldehyde + 2 	imes Alcohol ightleftharpoons Acetal + H_2O$.
2. **Equilibrium**: The reaction is reversible at every step. The conversion of a hemiacetal to an acetal involves the loss of an $-OH$ group and its replacement by an $-OR$ group.
3. **Step Mechanism**: The $-OH$ is protonated to $H_2O^+$, which leaves as a neutral molecules of **water**.
4. **Le Chatelier's Principle**: To drive the reaction forward and achieve high yields of acetal, the byproduct **water** must be physically removed from the system ($e.g.,$ using a Dean-Stark trap or molecular sieves).

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hemiacetal vs acetal

Select the correct option: