Question

Draw the conjugate base for each compound below (the acidic hydrogen in each case is marked with an *).

(b)

Short answer

The conjugate base of a compound is:

Step-by-step solution

Methyl acetate

IUPAC naming of methyl acetate is methyl ethanoate. Its chemical formula is${\mathbf{CH}}_{\mathbf{3}}{\mathbf{COOCH}}_{\mathbf{3}}$it is an ester compound. It is mostly used as a solvent in chemical industries. It is a colorless liquid with a fruity fragrance.

The structure of methyl acetate is

Structure of methyl acetate

Conjugate base of Methyl acetate

Methyl acetate

In the above compound, there are two ${\mathrm{CH}}_3$groups. One is attached to the group, and the other is attached to the oxygen atom only, but the hydrogen atom of the ${\mathrm{CH}}_3$group that is attached to the group and marked with (*) is acidic hydrogen because this oxygen atom is highly electronegative. Therefore, it will withdraw more electron density from that attached carbon. That carbon will withdraw more electron density from the attached group, and hence, the hydrogen will be more acidic. In the case of strong acids, we get a stable conjugate base.

The conjugate base of the above compound is:

Conjugate base of methyl acetate