Question

What is the action of the following reagent on ethanoic acid?
$PC{l}_3$, heat.

Answer 1

When ethanoic acid (acetic acid) is heated with $PC{l}_3$, acetyl chloride is obtained.

$\underset{\text{ethanoic acid}}{3C{H}_3-COOH}+PC{l}_3\stackrel{\Delta }{\to }\underset{\text{acetyl chloride}}{3C{H}_3-COCl}+H_{3}P{O}_3$