Wize High School Grade 12 Chemistry Textbook > Organic Chemistry (Part 2: Chemical Reactions)

Hydrolysis Reactions

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Hydrolysis Reactions

  • These are reactions where molecules are broken apart by adding water (the OH part of water is added to one side of a bond and the H of water is added to the other side of a bond)
  • These are the reverse of condensation reactions (note the reversible arrows in the reaction below)

Example of a Hydrolysis Reaction (water is being added to an ester to break it into a carboxylic acid and an alcohol):


Image illustrating Hydrolysis Reactions