Transesterification

In organic chemistry, transesterification (/ˌtrænzˌɛstərᵻfᵻˈkeɪʃən/) is the process of exchanging the organic group R″ of an ester with the organic group R′ of an alcohol. These reactions are often catalyzed by the addition of an acid or base catalyst. The reaction can also be accomplished with the help of enzymes (biocatalysts) particularly lipases (E.C.3.1.1.3).