Acetic acid is produced in several ways, one of them is the Monsanto Process:
Methanol, hydriodic acid, carbon monoxide combine with a Rhodium based catalyst to yield acetic acid.
Briefly, (i) CH3OH reacts with HI to produce MeI
(ii) MeI adds oxidatively to Rh giving Me-Rh-I (other ligands on Rh not shown for simplicity);
(iii) this is followed by CO uptake and insertion and finally
(iv) MeCO-Rh-I which undergoes reductive elimination to yield MeCOI (acetyl iodide) which is hydrolysed under the conditions to yield MeCOOH and giving back HI.
Acetic acid is a colorless, weak monobasic organic acid: CH3COOH; pKa ~ 4.75 having the smell of pungent vinegar.
Methanol, hydriodic acid, carbon monoxide combine with a Rhodium based catalyst to yield acetic acid.
Briefly, (i) CH3OH reacts with HI to produce MeI
(ii) MeI adds oxidatively to Rh giving Me-Rh-I (other ligands on Rh not shown for simplicity);
(iii) this is followed by CO uptake and insertion and finally
(iv) MeCO-Rh-I which undergoes reductive elimination to yield MeCOI (acetyl iodide) which is hydrolysed under the conditions to yield MeCOOH and giving back HI.
Acetic acid is a colorless, weak monobasic organic acid: CH3COOH; pKa ~ 4.75 having the smell of pungent vinegar.