Nucleophilic Reactions of Carboxylic Acids and their Derivatives

Abstract

In this chapter we shall look at the nucleophilic reactions of carboxylic acids and their common derivatives, the acid chlorides, anhydrides, esters and amides. The formal resemblance in structure of these compounds and the aldehydes and ketones might lead us to expect them to exhibit the same kind of chemical reactivity. In fact, although they are often attacked by the same nucleophiles which react with aldehydes and ketones, the presence of another reactive group such as chloro (acid chlorides) or amino (acid amides) considerably modifies the behaviour of these compounds.