Predict the major, organic product for the following reaction.

• A.
• B.
• C.
• D.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the reactants: The starting material is a furan-2-carboxylic acid, and the reagent is ethanol in the presence of sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
2. Recognize the reaction type: This is an esterification reaction, specifically a Fischer esterification, where a carboxylic acid reacts with an alcohol to form an ester.
3. Protonation step: The carboxylic acid group is protonated by the acid catalyst (H2SO4), increasing the electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon.
4. Nucleophilic attack: The alcohol (ethanol) acts as a nucleophile and attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon, forming a tetrahedral intermediate.
5. Formation of the ester: The intermediate undergoes proton transfers and the loss of a water molecule, resulting in the formation of the ester product, which is furan-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester.