Experimental Report on Hydrolysis of Ethyl Acetate

Objective
To explore the conditions and influencing factors of hydrolysis of ethyl acetate, and to gain a deeper understanding of the hydrolysis mechanism through experimental data.

Experimental Principle
Ethyl acetate reacts with water under the catalysis of acid or base to generate acetic acid and ethanol. When catalyzed by acid, the reaction is reversible; when catalyzed by base, due to the reaction of the generated acetic acid and base, the equilibrium shifts forward and the hydrolysis is more thorough.
$CH_3COOC_2H_5 + H_2O\ underset {\ triangle} {\ overset {H ^ +} {\ rightleftharpoons}} CH_3COOH + C_2H_5OH $ (acid catalysis)
$CH_3COOC_2H_5 + NaOH\ overset {\ triangle }{=\!=\! =} CH_3COONa + C_2H_5OH $ (alkali catalysis)

Experimental supplies
1. ** Instruments **: test tube, alcohol lamp, iron rack table, asbestos mesh, thermometer, dropper, etc.
2. ** Pharmaceutical products **: ethyl acetate, dilute sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide solution, distilled water.

Experimental steps
1. ** Prepare three clean test tubes **: numbered 1, 2, 3, respectively.
2. ** Add pharmaceutical products to each test tube **:
- Test tube 1: Add 5 mL of distilled water and 2 mL of ethyl acetate.
- Test tube 2: Add 5 mL of dilute sulfuric acid (1:5) and 2 mL of ethyl acetate.
- Test tube 3: Add 5mL of sodium hydroxide solution (30%) and 2mL of ethyl acetate.
3. ** Heat three test tubes simultaneously in a water bath at 70-80 ° C **: Observe and record the change of ethyl acetate oil layer thickness with time in each test tube.

Experimental phenomenon and analysis
1. ** Test tube 1 **: After a long time of heating, the ethyl acetate oil layer thickness does not change significantly. The reason is that the hydrolysis rate of ethyl acetate is extremely slow and almost negligible at room temperature without catalyst.
2. ** Test tube 2 **: With the extension of heating time, the thickness of ethyl acetate oil layer gradually decreases. Explain that acid can catalyze the hydrolysis of ethyl acetate, but because it is a reversible reaction, the degree of hydrolysis is limited.
3. ** Test tube 3 **: The ethyl acetate oil layer thinned rapidly and disappeared quickly. It shows that the hydrolysis of ethyl acetate under alkali catalysis is carried out very thoroughly, because the resulting acetic acid reacts with sodium hydroxide, which prompts the equilibrium to move forward continuously.

Experimental conclusions
1. The hydrolysis of ethyl acetate can accelerate the reaction rate under acid or base catalysis, and the effect of base catalysis is more significant.
2. Temperature has an effect on the hydrolysis reaction. Appropriate increase of temperature can speed up the reaction rate.

Experimental reflection and expansion
1. ** Reflection **: The temperature of the water bath needs to be strictly controlled during the experimental process. If the temperature is too high, the volatilization of ethyl acetate will affect the accuracy of the experimental results; at the same time, the dosage of drugs should be accurate, otherwise the experimental phenomenon may not be obvious.
2. ** Extension **: The effect of different concentrations of acids or bases on the hydrolysis rate of ethyl acetate can be further studied, or the hydrolysis of other esters under similar conditions can be explored to deepen the understanding of the hydrolysis reaction of esters.

Experimental insight into the hydrolysis of ethyl acetate
Through this experiment, the differences in the hydrolysis reaction of ethyl acetate under different conditions are clearly recognized. Acids and bases as catalysts have a huge impact on the reaction rate and degree, which provides an important example for understanding the mechanism of organic chemical reactions. The detailed control in the experimental operation, such as temperature, drug dosage, etc., directly affects the success or failure of the experiment and the accuracy of the results, cultivating a rigorous scientific attitude. In the future, ester hydrolysis can be studied from a more in-depth reaction kinetics perspective, providing theoretical support for organic synthesis and chemical production.