How do you write anhydride formulas?

1 Answer
anor277
Dec 31, 2015

Anhydride literally means without water.

Explanation:

To write anhydride formation as a reaction:

#RC(=O)OH + HO(O=)CR rarr RC(=O)O(O=)CR + H_2O#

The carboxylic acids have lost a water molecule in forming a #C(=O)O(O=)C# bond. Of course, we could use different carboxylic acids to make non-symmetric anhydrides, #RC(=O)O(O=)CR'#.

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