Acid catalyzed hydrolysis in an important process for functional group modification in organic chemistry. This research examined the reaction rate for hydrolysis using different solutions of H2SO4 with and without Ca2+. In order to determine and compare the overall reaction rates of the three acid samples, side-by-side reactions were conducted with biologically relevant organic functional groups at 1.54M, 0.15M, and 0.015M concentrations. The functional groups selected were esters, acetals, and amides. Esters can be found in fats and lipids, acetals in carbohydrates and sugars, and amides in proteins and enzymes. The integration ratios of the peaks in NMR of the similar hydrogens between reactant and product were used to measure and compare the reactivity rates. We report the differences and similarities of each acid solution reacting over time with the different functional groups.

Comparing hydrolysis reactivity of organic compounds utilizing sulfuric acid solutions

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