Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Hydrolysis: A reaction in which water is a reactant, and becomes part of the reaction product.

Hydrolysis of tert-butyl chloride gives tert-butanol, a tertiary alcohol. This reaction follows an S_N1 mechanism.


Acid-catalyzed ester hydrolysis gives a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. This reaction is the reverse of Fischer esterification.