Acidic hydrolysis of acetamide refers to the reaction of acetamide with an acid in the presence of water, which results in the breakdown of acetamide to form different products. The products formed depend on the reaction conditions and the type of acid used.

Acidic hydrolysis of acetamide gives:

Acetic acid

Acetic acid is the product obtained after acidic hydrolysis of acetamide. This is because, during the reaction, the amide group (-CONH2) in acetamide is converted to a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) in the presence of acid and water. The acid catalyst provides a proton (H+) which reacts with the nitrogen atom of the amide group, leading to the formation of an ammonium ion. The ammonium ion then reacts with water to form acetic acid and ammonium hydroxide.

The overall reaction can be represented as follows:

CH3CONH2 + H2O + H+ → CH3COOH + NH4+

The reaction is accelerated by the addition of heat or a stronger acid catalyst such as concentrated sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid.

Other products

Apart from acetic acid, other products that can be formed during the hydrolysis of acetamide include:

- Acetaldehyde - this is formed when the acidic hydrolysis of acetamide is carried out under reflux conditions using a strong acid catalyst such as concentrated sulfuric acid. The reaction involves the dehydration of acetic acid to form acetaldehyde.

- Methylamine - this is formed when the hydrolysis of acetamide is carried out in the presence of an excess of ammonia in an alkaline medium. The reaction involves the formation of a Schiff base intermediate which is then hydrolyzed to give methylamine and ammonium acetate.

- Formic acid - this is formed when the acidic hydrolysis of acetamide is carried out under conditions of high temperature and pressure using a strong acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid. The reaction involves the oxidation of acetic acid to form formic acid.

In conclusion, the acidic hydrolysis of acetamide leads to the formation of acetic acid as the main product. Other products can also be formed depending on the reaction conditions.