Expt: Esterification

Aim: To make and identify an ester by it characteristic smell.

Carboxylic acids react with alcohols to form esters. To increase the rate of these reactions
concentrated sulfuric acid is added and the reaction mixture is heated in a water bath.
1

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)

Mix 5 drops of glacial ethanoic acid with 10 drops of ethanol.

Add 1 drop of concentrated sulfuric acid.
Heat the mixture in a beaker of boiling water for 5 minutes.
Record what you observe
Cool the mixture and add 5 mL of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution.
Pour the mixture into a beaker of cold water.
Note the smell of the product and record your observations.

Observations and equation for the ester formation:

(a)
(b)

Mix 1 mL of methanol with a pinch of salicylic acid.

repeat steps b to g

Observations and equation for the ester formation:

(a)
(b)

Mix 5 drops of glacial ethanoic acid with 10 drops of pentan1ol.

repeat steps b to g

Observations and equation for the ester formation:

(a)
(b)

Mix 5 drops of butanoic acid with 10 drops of ethanol.

repeat steps b to g

Observations:

Exercises

What is the purpose of the concentrated sulfuric acid in the reactions you carried out?
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Write an equation for the reaction when sodium bicarbonate neutralised the excess
ethanoic acid.

Complete the table for the formation of different esters

alcohol

carboxylic acid

ethanol

pentanoic acid

ester

ethyl methanoate
methanol

butanoic acid

propan1ol

ethanoic acid
ethyl salicylate
propyl propanoate

methanol
4

methanoic acid

Draw the structure and name the carboxylic acid and the alcohol which each of the
following esters are made.
(a)

H
H
H

H C C O C C H

H
O
H
H

(b)

H
H
H

H C O C C C H

H
O
H
H