ETHYL ACETATE OVERVIEW
Ethyl acetate can be hydrolyzed in acid or basic conditions to regain acetic acid and ethanol. The use of an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid gives poor yields due to it being an equilibrium the reverse reaction of the Fischer etherification.
To obtain high yields, it is preferable to use a stoichiometric amount of strong base, such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction gives ethanol and sodium acetate, which is not able to react with ethanol any longer:
CH3CO2C2H5 + NaOH → C2H5OH + CH3CO2Na
Our lives would be much poorer were it not for the ability to smell. Our sense of smell warned our ancestors (and warns us) of what is safe to eat. The family of compounds called esters is responsible for many of the pleasant smells of fruits. Bananas are the most popular fruit today in much of Europe - the characteristic smell of a banana is largely due to an ester, 3-methylbutyl acetate; other esters have more familiar fruit flavours.
Ethyl acetate (structure shown above) is the most familiar ester to many chemistry students and possibly the ester with the widest range of uses. Esters are structurally derived from carboxylic acids by replacing the acidic hydrogen by an alkyl or aryl group. Ethyl acetate itself is a colourless liquid at room temperature with a pleasant "fruity" smell, b.p. 77°C.
To obtain high yields, it is preferable to use a stoichiometric amount of strong base, such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction gives ethanol and sodium acetate, which is not able to react with ethanol any longer:
CH3CO2C2H5 + NaOH → C2H5OH + CH3CO2Na
Our lives would be much poorer were it not for the ability to smell. Our sense of smell warned our ancestors (and warns us) of what is safe to eat. The family of compounds called esters is responsible for many of the pleasant smells of fruits. Bananas are the most popular fruit today in much of Europe - the characteristic smell of a banana is largely due to an ester, 3-methylbutyl acetate; other esters have more familiar fruit flavours.
Ethyl acetate (structure shown above) is the most familiar ester to many chemistry students and possibly the ester with the widest range of uses. Esters are structurally derived from carboxylic acids by replacing the acidic hydrogen by an alkyl or aryl group. Ethyl acetate itself is a colourless liquid at room temperature with a pleasant "fruity" smell, b.p. 77°C.
