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Does super phosphoric acid (a mixture of phosphoric acid and p2o5) form, when dehydrating a carboxylic acid with P2O5? or is it just normal phosphoric acid?
Accepted Answer
Dehydrating a carboxylic acid with P₂O₅ produces an anhydride, not phosphoric acid or superphosphoric acid. The reaction removes water from the carboxylic acid, forming a new bond between the two remaining carbonyl groups. P₂O₅ acts as a dehydrating agent, removing water and regenerating itself as phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄). Superphosphoric acid is a mixture of phosphoric acid and various polyphosphoric acids, formed through the dehydration of phosphoric acid.
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