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Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template
Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro.
Hydroxide hydrolyses methyl acetate through the tetrahedral intermediate to acetate and methanol.
Mechanism step by step
Addition–elimination at the carbonyl, then an irreversible proton transfer
- Addition – Hydroxide attacks C=O
- Elimination – The intermediate expels methoxide
- Proton transfer – Methoxide deprotonates the acid
Key points
- Nucleophilic acyl substitution: addition, then elimination.
- The final deprotonation makes base hydrolysis irreversible.
- Acid work-up gives the carboxylic acid.
- Fats + NaOH give soaps (carboxylate salts) and glycerol.
Drawn with 49 atoms, 10 arrows, 9 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
- Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
- Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template free?
You can preview the Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.
Can I edit the Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
What is a curly-arrow mechanism template?
A ready-made drawing of a reaction mechanism in which curved arrows show where electron pairs move in each step. You can open it in MolDraw, change the substrate and reuse it.