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Ester Experiments :)


YT2095

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or better yet, react isoamyl bromide/chloride/iodide with acetic acid in somewhat alkaline conditions

 

True. Or, react isoamyl alcohol with acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride in the presence of an organic base. However, acyl chlorides and acyl anhydrides probably aren't available to most DIY chemists.

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basicly you need an alcohol an acid (often organic) and a catalyst (conc sulphuric is good).

there is therefore 100`s of different combinations to try and experiment with, the formula is simple, just apply a little imagination and then post your results here.

and no, I`m in England, and live no where near Frisco, why do you ask?

(tell me in PM, not in here, it`s off topic).

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I made formic acid esters today! To make ethyl formate: mixture of formic acid 85%, ethanol 80% and battery acid (H2SO4, 35%), 1...2ml of each, was heated in test tube during 5 min near the boiling point. Strong smell was noted, different from other esters i have synthesised so far.

 

I also made methyl formate for comparision using 80% methanol instead of ethanol. Smell of methyl formate is almost the same but not so strong.

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  • 7 months later...

i want to know about esterification of acetic acid with ethanol and the catalyst used in the processs so as to improve the yield.

here`s a thread for any

Curious Chemists that want to try a little bit of Organic chem' date=' the idea is to make and share recipes for Esters and TRY to describe the smells if you can.

 

I`ve just had a go myself and made Ethyl Benzoate, it smells almost good enough to eat!

 

simply 5ml of 100% Ethanol (it should work with the 95% too), added to Benzoic Acid (I added roughly half a T`spoon (or 2 spatulas) and then 4 drops of Conc Sulphuric acid.

interestingly the benzoic acid dissolves in the ethanol 100%, but when you add the sulphuric (esp in one spot) a white solid forms but then dissolves again? :)

 

next gently heat it, when the vapor starts to rise and condense half way up the test tube, Stop and let it cool, you can do this a few times if you like, I find it gets a little stronger each time.

 

when cool, get a bowl of cold water, and dump the test tube contents into it, then have a sniff.

this particular Ester smells a bit like some sort of wild Mint plant with perhaps and underscore of Liquorice?

 

try it yourselves as let me know what you think, and also add your own "recipe" in this thread too :)

 

Let`s make a HUGE collection of them, I recon this should be alot of fun![/quote']

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  • 1 month later...

Re KMnO4 and methanol-

"just mix the two, maybe heat a little. i dont think heat is required. you'll end up with a precipitate. just gravity filter"

I don't think that's a good idea. Mixing solutions of the 2 in water is a safer bet.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
Would it be easier with phosphorous acid ([math]H_{3}PO_{3}[/math'])?

I think phosphorous acid would be an easier base for esterification (analogon: nitrite also is easier than nitrate). But you will get another ester. Also keep in mind that phosphorous acid is two-basic, its structure is H-P(=O)(OH)2, and only the H-atoms, attached to the O-atom can be split off.

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