Jenell Copeland

January 21, 2015

Ester Synthesis Objective
The purpose of the Ester Synthesis lab is to create new smells by following a formal lab
procedure. Students should be able to explain what happened on a molecular level and predict
the product if ester synthesis. Students should also be able to draw structural formulas containing
the various functional group taught in the classroom.
Hypothesis
I think that, with the help of the heat and the catalyst, the acid and the alcohol broke off one
Oxygen and two Hydrogens to make water. The water particles evaporated and whatever was left
was bonded together to produce a sweet smell.
Materials
50 mL beaker
hot plate
3 microscale tubes
3 plastic pipettes
scissors
marked stickers for organization
organic acids and alcohols:
Carboxylic Acids
acetci acid
butyric acid
Alcohol
isopentanol
butanol
ethanol
Concentrated sulfuric acid, H2SO4

Procedure
I.
Fill a 50 mL beaker with about 30 mL of water
II.
Place the beaker of water on a hot plate and bring the water to a gentle boil
III.
Label your test tubes with marked stickers 1, 2, and 3
IV.
Carefully smell the acids by wafting and record the smells in the data table. Add 5
drops of the appropriate carboxylic acid to each of the corresponding test tube
according to the table
V.
Carefully smell the alcohols by wafting and record the smells in the data table.
Add 10 drops of the appropriate alcohol to each of the corresponding test tube
according to the table
VI.
Add one drop of the concentrated sulfuric acid, H2SO4, to each of the test tubes
VII.
Carefully smell each mixture by wafting, and record the smell in the data table
VIII.
Cut the three plastic pipettes so that it is shorter than the length of the test tube.
Put it in the test tube with the stem down, also so the bulb loosely seals of the tube

IX.
By choice, place the test tubes all at once in the boiling water for five minutes, or
one at a time, until the putrid smell is no longer noticeable
X.
After five minutes, remove the test tube from the water. Turn off the hot plate
XI.
Remove the pipette from the test tube. It should not have any liquid in it, just
vapors
Carefully squeeze the pipette near your nose so that you can waft and smell the vapors. Record
the smells in the data table.
Graph/Data/Calculations
Smell of Carboxylic Acid

Smell of Alcohol

Smell of mixture
before heating

Smell of mixture after

heating

vinegar

industrial gas

vinegar

banana

industrial gas

melted
plastic

melted
plastic

green apple

vomit

nail polish
remover

alcohol

strawberry-banana

Test
tube

Test Tube

Carboxylic Acid- 5 drops

Alcohol- 10 drops

acetic acid

isopentanol

acetic acid

butanol

butyric acid

ethanol

Observations
When the test tubes are in the boiling water for the five minutes, there is
something happening that makes that gross smell turn sweet and fruit like. That process
that has taken place is called Ester Synthesis. Synthesis means to make. And in this
lab we have synthesized an ester by combining an alcohol with carboxylic acid.
Carboxylic Acid + Alcohol Water + Ester
In this case the means the reaction processor which is heat
and the catalyst sulfuric acid

Heres how we are

going
to look at it:
+

 Here we have test tube #3: Butyric acid and ethanol, both in structural form, so
from here we will take an O-H from the butyric acid and the H from the ethanol. That
will give us our water.
From here we then reattach what is left and that is what gives us the ester.

So altogether, we have the ester of C6H14O

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have managed to experiment the Ester Synthesis and watch two smells, putrid
and pungent, turn into a sweet smell. It is really amazing how thing work out. With the use of the
catalyst, that was only there for activation, we were also able to see that within five minutes. I
have learned about Ester Synthesis and how it works on paper. I also learned that during Ester
Synthesis, two Hydrogens and an Oxygen breaks off to make water.