http://academicearth.org/lectures/amide-formation-from-acyl-chloride
Acyl Chlorides react at room temperature with ammonia to form amides.
Ethanoyl chloride reacts violently with a cold concentrated solution of ammonia. A white solid product is formed which is a mixture of ethanamide (an amide) and ammonium chloride.
Example:
The type of reaction is an nucleophilic addition/elimination reaction.
2. Hydrolysis of acyl chlorides
Acyl Chlorides undergo hydrolysis READILY by water at room temperature to form carboxylic acids(something you know about :D)
The process produces heat and HCl gas.
This reaction is very vigorous and the products form white precipitate of silver chloride when silver nitrate is added, immediately.
*(There are 2 types of acyl chlorides, aromatic and aliphatic. Aromatic ones due to being less soluble than aliphatic, hydrolyze less readily and their carbonyl carbon atom attracts electrons from the benzene ring, making it less vulnerable to nucleophilic attack. You didn’t need to know that now, but yeah :D)
3. Alcoholysis
Acyl chlorides undergo esterification with alcohols and phenols at room temperature.
Using acyl chlorides over carboxylic acids is better, as the reaction is very fast, almost immediate. This reaction is complete and thus yield is higher.
Example:
Phenate esters can also be prepared through this.
4. Reaction with amines
Acyl chlorides react at RTP to with PRIMARY amines to form N-substituted amides.
Ethanoyl chloride reacts violently with a cold concentrated solution of ethylamine. A white solid product is formed which is a mixture of N-ethylethanamide (an N-substituted amide) and ethylammonium chloride.
Example:
