---
title: "Ester hydrolysis (saponification) Template | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/ester-saponification/
description: "Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template: Hydroxide hydrolyses methyl acetate through the tetrahedral intermediate to acetate and methanol. Preview it…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
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# Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template

![Ester hydrolysis (saponification) template: Hydroxide hydrolyses methyl acetate through the tetrahedral intermediate to acetate and methanol.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/ester-saponification.webp)

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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

1. **Addition** – Hydroxide attacks C=O
2. **Elimination** – The intermediate expels methoxide
3. **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

- [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 10](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook
- [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
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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.

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