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Curious question

nemzy
in Chemistry

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Why is it necessary to use a large excess of acetic adic in the prepartion of isopentyl acetate?

mmm, banana oil...enrages bees...

 

it isnt necessary actually. i take it you are doing the esterfication of isopentanol and acetic acid? they say they want an excess of acetic acid i believe because you want the hydronium cations as a catalyst. do it in the presence of another (prefferably mineral) acid and you'll be set

  • 1 year later...

why is it necessary to have an acid catalyst in the presence of acetic acid?

and I thought that the reason you overload on the acetic acid is to shift the easily reversible equilibrium.

 

my second question is why NaHCO3 is used? does it also shift the equilibrium or remove one of the biproducts?

The mineral acid is merely a source of readily available protons that are needed to catalyze the Fischer esterification.

 

Sodium bicarbonate is used to remove the remaining acid that has not reacted.

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