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Thursday, May 10

Yummy Esters


      An ester is an organic compound made by replacing the hydrogen of an acid by an alkyl or other organic group. For our studies, it is formed through the combination of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. The hydroxyl groups combine to form water and our ester. The ester has a double bonded oxygen as well as a single bonded one to the same carbon. It has the ending
–anoate. The ‘parent’ chain is where the oxygen atoms want to give a hug.

To name an ester:

The hydrocarbon chain directly attached to the carbon side of the COO group has the ending –anoate. Then normally name the 'side' chain. 

Esterification is the reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol to form water and an ester. In order for them to be formed, we need an inorganic acid. After some magical chemical reactions, we are left with the pleasant smell of the ester. A few smells are:
Ethyl methanoate: rum *yum*
Methyl butanoate: pineapples
Pentyl ethanoate: banana

Now it’s time to draw. Draw:

Butyl methanoate



 Ethyl propanoate:
 

Esterification: Label the diagrams and determine a relationship between the reactants and products.


The reactants are methanol and butanoic acid.
The products are water and methyl butanoate.

The relationship: butanoate = butanoic acid / methanol = methyl.
In this way, the alcohol forms the ‘side chain’ and the carboxylic acid forms the parents.








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