does sulphuric acid speed up esterfication by reducing energy required to dehydrogenate the reactants?

Answer 1

Lancenigo di Villorba (TV), Italy

Yes, you wrote good : Sulphuric Acid speed up Esterification processes since it influences the chemical equilibrium.
Not, you wrote bad : Sulphuric Acid cannot dehydrogenate the reactants.

TOPICS
Esterification Processes belongs to Nucleophilic Acylic Substitution where a Carboxylic Acid reacts against an alcohol or phenol to form Ester.
The chemical writing is

R-COOH + R'-OH <---> R-COO-R' + H2O

As experience teach, this isn't an easy reaction since it reach Chemical Equilibrium before it could convert great amount of acid or alcohol.
The real handicap to the reaction is the REVERSE SIDE or the chemical action played by water itself : water tends to restore acid and alcohol.
So, ever time you lead your experiment in aqueous phase you will condamned to poor overcomes.
WATER IS AN ESTERIFICATION-TROUBLE.
Chemistry's Teacher could use Acyl Halides in place to Carboxylic Acids....Acyl Halides are more precious than acids and it may react against your skin or eyes, danger!!
Temperature will give you its aid but you have to add processes more advanced.
In effects, every time Chemical Industry has to form Ester it need to apply Reacting Distillation Tower where reactants meet one to the other one and water lift up as stripped vapour-stream.
So, Liquid Benzene enter in the tower so it gets favour to Water Stripping which escape up : once depleted
water-containt, the esterfication runs speeder.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 2

It protonates the carbonyl group of the acid and makes it a better electrophile. It also serves to drive the equilibrium to the right by dehydrating the mixture (not dehydrogenate!).