Synthesis of ethyl acetate from ethanol and acetic acid

Now there is ethanol and acetic acid, and the two are combined to form ethyl acetate. The reason for the reaction is that the hydroxyl group in ethanol interacts with the carboxyl group in acetic acid.

Ethanol, an organic substance with hydroxyl groups, is active. Acetic acid, containing carboxyl groups, also has unique chemical properties. When the two meet, under appropriate conditions, such as adding concentrated sulfuric acid as a catalyst and heating, the hydroxyl group dehydrogenates and the carboxyl group dehydrogenates. The two combine to form water, and the rest are connected to each other to form ethyl acetate.

This reaction process is not achieved overnight and is a reversible reaction. In order to make the reaction proceed in the direction of generating ethyl acetate, appropriate measures need to be taken. If the water produced by the reaction is removed in time, the equilibrium can be shifted to the right and the yield of ethyl acetate can be increased. Or the amount of reactant ethanol or acetic acid can be increased, which also helps the reaction to advance towards the formation of products.

From this reaction, it is an important synthetic reaction in organic chemistry. Through this reaction, ethyl acetate, which is widely used in perfumes, solvents and other fields, can be prepared, which is of great significance in industrial production and daily life.