plumiAcylation: AQA A‑Level Chemistry questions
AQA A-Level Chemistry past-paper questions on 3.3.9.2 Acylation, 2008–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q03.4
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All 52 questions on Acylation, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q03.4 (4 marks): An incomplete equation for the reaction used to make DIBP is shown. Complete the equation. Give the name of the mechanism for this reaction. Deduce the empirica
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q03.7 (4 marks): The polymer nylon 6,6 can be made from hexanedioyl dichloride and hexane-1,6-diamine. Figure 2 shows an incomplete mechanism for the first steps in this reactio
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q05.1 (2 marks): Silver nitrate solution can be used to distinguish between propanoyl chloride and 1-chloropropane. Give the observations you would expect when a few drops of si
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q01.2 (1 mark): Aspirin can also be produced by reacting 2-hydroxybenzenecarboxylic acid with ethanoyl chloride. State why ethanoic anhydride is preferred to ethanoyl chloride
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q01.3 (1 mark): Give the name of the mechanism for the reaction of 2-hydroxybenzenecarboxylic acid with ethanoic anhydride. [1 mark]
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q01.4 (1 mark): Suggest the role of the concentrated phosphoric acid. [1 mark]
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q01.5 (1 mark): Suggest why reflux is not essential when the flask is heated to 85 °C for 10 minutes. [1 mark]
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q01.7 (2 marks): Suggest the identity of two impurities present in the filtered solid aspirin before it is washed in Step 6 of the method. [2 marks] Impurity 1 Impurity 2
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q03.1 (4 marks): Figure 3 shows an intermediate formed in the first step of a nucleophilic addition–elimination mechanism. Figure 3 Complete Figure 3 to show the structures of t
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q09.2 (3 marks): Figure 11 shows an incomplete suggested mechanism for the decomposition of ethanoic anhydride. Figure 11 Complete the mechanism in Figure 11 by adding three cur
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q10.2 (1 mark): Give the name of the mechanism for the reaction in step 3. [1 mark]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q26 (1 mark): Which compound is an amide? [1 mark] A CH3CH2CH2CN B CH3CONHCH2CH3 C CH3COOCH2CH3 D CH3NHCH2CH2CH3
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q08.3 (5 marks): Cyclohexane-1,2-diol reacts with ethanedioyl dichloride. Give the name of the mechanism for this reaction. Complete the mechanism to show the formation of one e
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q28 (1 mark): Which compound forms a white precipitate when added to aqueous silver nitrate? [1 mark] A bromoethane B ethanal C ethanoic anhydride D ethanoyl chloride
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q31 (1 mark): Which compound reacts with warm dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide? [1 mark] A C6H6 B CH3CH=CH2 C CH3CH2CH2NH2 D (CH3CO)2O
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q02.3 (3 marks): Prilocaine is completely hydrolysed in the human body to give a mixture of products. Draw the structures of the two organic products formed in the complete hydr
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q04.4 (1 mark): Complete the equation for the reaction of salicylic acid with ethanoic anhydride to produce aspirin. [1 mark]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q27 (1 mark): Which reaction involves addition-elimination? [1 mark] A (CH3)2CHBr + KOH → CH3CH=CH2 + KBr + H2O B CH3COCl + C6H5OH → CH3COOC6H5 + HCl C CH3CH=CH2 + Cl2 → CH3C
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q08.3 (2 marks): In theory, either ethanoyl chloride or ethanoic anhydride could be used in Step 3. Complete the mechanism for the reaction of 4-aminophenol with ethanoyl chlori
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q08.4 (1 mark): In practice, ethanoic anhydride is used in the industrial synthesis rather than ethanoyl chloride. Give one reason why ethanoyl chloride is not used in the indu
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q08.5 (1 mark): In Step 3 other aromatic products are formed as well as paracetamol. Draw the structure of one of these other aromatic products. [1 mark]
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q08.6 (1 mark): Chemists have recently developed a two-step process to produce paracetamol from phenol. In the first step, phenol is oxidised to hydroquinone. In the second ste
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q11.1 (3 marks): An ester is formed by the reaction of an acid anhydride with CH3CH2OH Complete the equation. In your answer show clearly the structure of the ester. Give the IU
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q07.3 (3 marks): The alcohol shown in Question 07.2 reacts with ethanoyl chloride to form an ester. Describe what would be observed when the alcohol reacts with ethanoyl chlorid
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q06.4 (6 marks): An amide link is also formed when an acyl chloride reacts with a primary amine. Name and outline a mechanism for the reaction between CH3CH2COCl and CH3CH2NH2 G
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q09.1 (5 marks): Name of mechanism Mechanism 3
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q09.7 (1 mark): Suggest the type of reaction occurring in step 3. [1 mark] 0 9 . 7
- June 2016, CHEM4 (old spec), Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Give the IUPAC name of reagent X in Step 1. [1 mark]
- June 2016, CHEM4 (old spec), Q3(a)(ii) (4 marks): Outline a mechanism for Step 1. In your answer, use RNH2 to represent 2,6-dimethylphenylamine. [4 marks]
- June 2015, CHEM4 (old spec), Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): An ester was prepared using method 1, by reacting (CH3)2CHOH with (CH3CO)2O Write an equation for this reaction and give the IUPAC name of the ester formed. [2
- June 2015, CHEM4 (old spec), Q6(a)(ii) (4 marks): The same ester was prepared using method 2 by reacting (CH3)2CHOH with CH3COCl Outline a mechanism for this reaction. [4 marks]
- June 2014, CHEM4 (old spec), Q8(a)(i) (7 marks): Name and outline a mechanism for this reaction. Use Table C on the Data Sheet to give the 13C n.m.r. δ value for the carbon atom labelled a and the δ value for
- June 2013, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(b)(iii) (1 mark): Ethanoic anhydride also reacts with benzene to form C6H5COCH3 Write an equation for this reaction. (1 mark)
- June 2013, CHEM4 (old spec), Q8(a) (6 marks): The amine CH3CH2CH2NH2 reacts with CH3COCl Name and outline a mechanism for this reaction. Give the IUPAC name of the organic product. (6 marks)
- January 2013, CHEM4 (old spec), Q8(b) (3 marks): Nucleophiles such as alcohols can react with CH3COCl The ion CH3COO– can act as a nucleophile in a similar way. State the meaning of the term nucleophile. Draw
- June 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(a) (5 marks): Outline a mechanism for the reaction of CH3CH2COCl with CH3OH and name the organic product formed. Mechanism Name of organic product (5 marks)
- June 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): Complete the following equation for the preparation of aspirin using ethanoic anhydride by writing the structural formula of the missing product. (1 mark) C O O
- June 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest a name for the mechanism for the reaction in part (c) (i). (1 mark)
- June 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(c)(iii) (2 marks): Give two industrial advantages, other than cost, of using ethanoic anhydride rather than ethanoyl chloride in the production of aspirin. Advantage 1 Advantage 2
- June 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(d) (1 mark): Complete the following equation for the reaction of one molecule of benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride (phthalic anhydride) with one molecule of methanol by dra
- January 2012, CHEM4 (old spec), Q10(a) (6 marks): For the reaction of CH3CH2COCl with ammonia, name and outline the mechanism and name the organic product.
- June 2011, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(b)(i) (5 marks): Name and outline a mechanism for the reaction of CH3CH2COCl with CH3NH2 Name of mechanism Mechanism (5 marks)
- June 2011, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(b)(ii) (1 mark): Give the name of the product containing an amide linkage that is formed in the reaction in part 4 (b) (i). (1 mark)
- June 2011, CHEM4 (old spec), Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Complete the following equation showing the formation of DEP from phthalic anhydride. (2 marks) 13 O C C COOCH2CH3 COOCH2CH3 + + DEP O O
- January 2011, CHEM4 (old spec), Q4(e)(iii) (1 mark): ethanoyl chloride (1 mark)
- June 2010, CHEM4 (old spec), Q7(b) (3 marks): Butyl ethanoate is used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry. Write an equation for the preparation of butyl ethanoate from an acid anhydride and an alco
- June 2010, CHEM4 (old spec), Q7(c) (5 marks): Name and outline a mechanism for the reaction of CH3COCl with CH3OH to form an ester. (5 marks)
- January 2010, CHEM4 (old spec), Q9(a) (6 marks): Name and outline a mechanism for the reaction of CH3CH2NH2 with CH3CH2COCl Name the amide formed. (6 marks)
- June 2008, CHM4 (2008 spec), Q6(a) (6 marks): 6 (a) Write a balanced equation for the reaction of propanoyl chloride with water. Name and outline a mechanism for this reaction. (6 marks)
- June 2008, CHM5 (2008 spec), Q1(f) (6 marks): 1 (f) Write an equation for the reaction between ammonia and ethanoyl chloride in which the ammonia acts as a nucleophile. Name and outline the mechanism for th
- June 2008, CHM6W (2008 spec), Q26 (1 mark): 26 Substances that form acidic solutions when added to water include 1 AlCl3 2 Cl2 3 CH3COCl 4 NaCl
- January 2008, CHM4 (2008 spec), Q8(a) (5 marks): (a) Name and outline a mechanism for this reaction. (5 marks)
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