---
title: "Transesterification Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/transesterification/
description: "Transesterification template: Methoxide adds to ethyl ethanoate, ethoxide leaves, and ethoxide takes H⁺ from methanol to regenerate the catalyst: the…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-11-13
---
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# Transesterification template

![Transesterification template: Methoxide adds to ethyl ethanoate, ethoxide leaves, and ethoxide takes H⁺ from methanol to regenerate the catalyst: the biodiesel reaction in miniature.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/transesterification.webp)

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Methoxide adds to ethyl ethanoate, ethoxide leaves, and ethoxide takes H⁺ from methanol to regenerate the catalyst: the biodiesel reaction in miniature.

## Mechanism step by step

An alkoxide swaps the alcohol part of an ester by addition–elimination

1. **Addition** – Methoxide attacks the ester carbonyl
2. **Elimination** – C=O re-forms and ethoxide leaves
3. **Proton transfer** – Ethoxide deprotonates methanol: the catalyst is regenerated

## Key points

- An equilibrium: a large excess of the new alcohol (as solvent) drives it over.
- Biodiesel: a triglyceride + 3 CH₃OH (NaOH or KOH catalyst) → 3 fatty acid methyl esters + glycerol.
- Water or free fatty acids use up the base and make soap (saponification) instead.
- Acid catalysis works too, by the Fischer-esterification steps.

Drawn with 59 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, ch. 16](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.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Transesterification template free?

You can preview the Transesterification 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 Transesterification 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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