Chapter 19.3, Problem 19.6P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The products of hydrolysis of cetyl laurate should be determined.

Concept Introduction:

Waxes are good example of hydrolysable lipids which are composed of fatty acid and higher alcohols. They have ester functional group which is formed between $\text{–COOH and –OH}$ functional group of the fatty acid and alcohols respectively. The general reaction of wax formation from fatty acid and higher alcohols can be written as:

  ${\text{R-CH}}_{\text{2}}{\text{-COOH + HO-CH}}_{\text{2}}\text{-R }\stackrel{}{\to }{\text{R-CH}}_{\text{2}}{\text{-COO-CH}}_{\text{2}}{\text{-R + H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O}$