Hydrolysis of an ester yields which products?

• A. Alcohol and water
• B. Alcohol and carboxylic acid
• C. Two alcohol molecules
• D. Two carboxylic acids

Answer: (B)

When an ester undergoes hydrolysis, the bond between the carbonyl carbon and the alkoxy oxygen is cleaved by water. The alkoxy part becomes an alcohol (ROH) and the acyl part becomes a carboxylic acid (RCOOH). So the products are an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. In basic hydrolysis you’d get an alcohol and a carboxylate salt instead of the free acid, but standard hydrolysis refers to the neutral products. Therefore the correct answer is an alcohol and a carboxylic acid.