Practical 27 Esterification
Practical 27 Esterification
10.1
PRACTICAL
ACTIVITIES
PREPARATION OF AN ESTER
Aim
Alkanoic acid
Alkanol
acetic acid
(24 mL)
ethanol (8 mL)
acetic acid
(24 mL)
propan-1-ol (8 mL)
acetic acid
(24 mL)
acetic acid
(24 mL)
butanoic acid
(24 mL)
ethanol (8 mL)
Materials
alkanoic acid (choose either glacial acetic acid or
butanoic acid)
alkanol (choose one from ethanol, propan-1-ol,
butan-1-ol or pentan1-1-ol)
concentrated sulfuric acid (dropper bottle)
(teacher use only)
Quickfit round-bottom boiling flask (100 mL or
250 mL)
reflux condenser with hoses
water bath and Bunsen burner or electric heating
mantle
retort stand, boss heads and clamps
boiling chips
stirring rod
beaker
measuring cylinder
Pasteur pipette
Safety
Wear safety glasses throughout this experiment.
Sulfuric acid is corrosive. Clean up spills
immediately. If the acid is spilled on the skin
then wash the area with large quantities of water.
Seek assistance.
Organic chemicals are flammable. Do not allow
liquids or vapours to come into contact with
sparks or flames.
Identify other safety precautions relevant to this
experiment by reading the method.
Method
Preparation of the ester
Refer to Figure 10.11 in the text to help you set up
the apparatus.
Isolation
You may wish to isolate the ester from the reaction
mixture. If so, then omit this section and proceed
with the optional extension.
8. Remove the boiling flask and carefully pour the
reaction mixture into a beaker containing
CHAPTER 10 ALKANOIC ACIDS AND ESTERS 231
PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES
70 mL of water. Stir with a glass rod. The
mixture contains the ester plus unreacted
alkanol and alkanoic acid. Compare the odour
of this solution with the odours of the original
reactants (see Results and analysis).
9. Clean up the equipment and workbench as
directed by your teacher. Keep the aqueous
mixture of the ester for further examination.
Conclusion
Write an appropriate conclusion for your
experiment.