Consider the reaction below to answer the following question(s).
-Refer to instructions. The purpose of the base catalyst in this reaction is:

Question

Consider the reaction below to answer the following question(s). 
-Refer to instructions. The purpose of the base catalyst in this reaction is:

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The base catalyst in this reaction serves to convert the alcohol group to an alkoxide anion, which is a better nucleophile. This facilitates the nucleophilic attack of the alkoxide anion on the electrophilic carbonyl group of the ester, resulting in the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate. This intermediate then collapses to form the desired product, along with the regeneration of the catalyst. While the other choices may also occur during the reaction, the primary role of the base catalyst is to activate the alcohol group by converting it to an alkoxide anion.

Consider the Reaction Below to Answer the Following Question(s)