The silver salt of a fatty acid on refluxing with an alkyl halide gives an

Options

A. Acids
B. Ester
C. Ether
D. Amine

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the reaction of the silver salt of a fatty acid with an alkyl halide, we can break it down into the following steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Reactants
The silver salt of a fatty acid can be represented as RCOOAg, where R is a hydrocarbon chain. The alkyl halide can be represented as R'X, where R' is an alkyl group and X is a halogen (Cl, Br, or I).

**Hint:** Identify the structure of the silver salt and the alkyl halide involved in the reaction.

### Step 2: Reaction Conditions
The reaction occurs upon refluxing, which means heating the mixture to boiling and allowing it to condense back into the liquid. This is typically done to facilitate the reaction between the silver salt and the alkyl halide.

**Hint:** Remember that refluxing helps in driving the reaction to completion by maintaining a constant temperature.

### Step 3: Mechanism of Reaction
The mechanism involved here is an SN2 (nucleophilic substitution) reaction. The negatively charged oxygen (O-) in the silver salt acts as a nucleophile and attacks the electrophilic carbon in the alkyl halide (R'X).

**Hint:** In an SN2 reaction, the nucleophile attacks from the backside, leading to the displacement of the leaving group (X).

### Step 4: Formation of the Product
As a result of the nucleophilic attack, the leaving group (X) is expelled, and a new bond is formed between the oxygen of the fatty acid and the alkyl group from the alkyl halide. The product formed is an acid derivative, specifically an ester.

The product can be represented as RCOOR', where RCOO is the fatty acid part and R' is the alkyl part from the alkyl halide.

**Hint:** Recognize the product formed as an ester, which is a common derivative of carboxylic acids.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Thus, the silver salt of a fatty acid when refluxed with an alkyl halide yields an ester, which is classified as an acid derivative.

**Final Answer:** The silver salt of a fatty acid on refluxing with an alkyl halide gives an ester (acid derivative).