Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-course-of-the-year-4-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/paper-1/1/a/i/solution

An aromatic–aliphatic polyamide and methanol are formed. Let . The polymer repeat unit is
Each amide linkage comes from nucleophilic acyl substitution: an amine attacks an ester carbonyl, the tetrahedral intermediate expels methoxide, and proton transfer produces methanol. There are approximately molecules of methanol for complete repeat units in a long chain; the precise finite-chain count depends on its end groups. Removal of methanol drives this step-growth polymerization.

New to topics? Read the docs here!