Synthesis of isopropyl acetate
1. Preface
Isopropyl acetate is widely used in the chemical industry. Its synthesis method has attracted much attention. Exploring an efficient and suitable synthesis path is an important direction of chemical research.

2. Synthesis principle
Acetic acid and isopropyl alcohol, under specific conditions, can undergo esterification reaction to form isopropyl acetate. This reaction follows the general law of esterification reaction. Acid and alcohol interact to remove a molecule of water to form ester compounds. The chemical reaction equation is as follows:
\ [\ text {acetic acid} +\ text {isopropanol}\ ce {< = > [catalyst] [heating]}\ text {isopropyl acetate} +\ text {water}\]

III. Synthesis method
1. ** Catalyst selection **
Common catalysts include sulfuric acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, etc. Although sulfuric acid has high catalytic activity, it is highly corrosive, and subsequent treatment is complicated. P-toluenesulfonic acid is relatively mild and has a good catalytic effect, so it is often the choice for the synthesis of isopropyl acetate.
2. ** Reaction device **
uses a round bottom flask as a reaction vessel, and is equipped with a reflux condensation device to prevent the reactants from escaping. At the same time, a heating device is required to meet the temperature required for the reaction. In addition, a stirring device is also indispensable, which can fully mix the reactants and speed up the reaction rate.
3. ** Reaction steps **
Take an appropriate amount of acetic acid and isopropanol, and add it to the round bottom flask in a certain proportion. Then add an appropriate amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. Turn on the stirring device to mix the substances evenly. Heat slowly to control the reaction temperature within a suitable range, generally in the range of\ (80 - 100 ^ {\ circ} C\). During the reaction, closely observe the reflux situation to ensure the smooth progress of the reaction

Fourth, product separation and purification
After the reaction is completed, the resulting mixture contains isopropyl acetate, unreacted acetic acid and isopropanol, catalyst and water. In order to obtain pure isopropyl acetate, separation and purification are required.
1. ** Neutralization **
First neutralize the mixture with an appropriate amount of sodium bicarbonate solution to remove the catalyst and unreacted acetic acid. In this process, sodium bicarbonate reacts with acetic acid to generate sodium acetate, carbon dioxide and water.
2. ** Separation **
The neutralized mixture is transferred to the separation funnel. Due to the immiscibility of isopropyl acetate and water, and the density is different, the organic phase can be separated after standing and stratifying.
3. ** Drying **
The organic phase is dried with anhydrous magnesium sulfate to remove the residual water. Anhydrous magnesium sulfate can combine with water to form a hydrate, so as to achieve the purpose of drying.
4. ** Distillation **
The dried organic phase is distilled. Using the difference in boiling points between isopropyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol, the fraction in a specific boiling point range can be collected to obtain pure isopropyl acetate. V. CONCLUSION By optimizing the reaction conditions, selecting suitable catalysts, and adopting reasonable separation and purification methods, isopropyl acetate can be synthesized efficiently. This synthesis path provides a theoretical and practical basis for the industrial production of isopropyl acetate.