Organic Chemistry - Esters (Paper 2)

Question 1

what functional group do esters contain?

Answer 1

-COO-

Question 2

what is ethyl ethanoate?

Answer 2

the ester produced when ethanol and ethanoic acid react in the presence of an acid catalyst
this reaction is called esterification
ethanoic acid + ethanol ⇋ ethyl ethanoate + water

Question 3

what properties make esters useful in perfumes?

Answer 3

esters are volatile compounds with distinctive smells. a volatile liquid is one that turns into to a vapour easily
esters are often described as having a sweet, fruity smell

Question 4

how would you prepare a sample of an ester such as ethyl ethanoate?

Answer 4

• heating a mixture of ethanoic acid and ethanol produces a liquid called ethyl ethanoate
• a few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid must be added for the reaction to work
• the sulfuric acid acts as a catalyst.