As part of my A-level chemistry course, I have been taught that an acyl chloride will react violently with water to produce a carboxylic acid and hydrochloric acid. I have also been taught that an acyl chloride will react with an aqueous solution of ammonia to produce an amide and ammonium chloride. My question is, would the acyl chloride also react with the water in the aqueous ammonia solution? If so, this could decrease the yield of the amide, because some of the acyl chloride will react to produce the carboxylic acid.
I would appreciate any additional relevant details about the reaction, such as answers to the following questions (assuming that the acyl chloride does react with the water):
- Is there an easy method to separate the amide from the carboxylic acid?
- Would it be best to use a concentrated ammonia solution, so that there is plenty of ammonia for the acyl chloride to react with instead of reacting with the water?
- Is the reaction with water negligible compared to the reaction with ammonia?
Thanks in advance!