Question

What was the role of the H2SO4 in The Scents of Esters experiment? If you wanted to convey this information in the name of the reaction, what would you call this type of esterification?

If the ester in an artificial flavor is the same as the one in the fruit, how do their chemical structures compare to each other?

In terms of all the organic compounds present, what do you think the primary difference is between an artificial flavoring agent verses a natural flavoring agent? Why might the natural flavor taste different? Is one flavoring necessarily safer or better for you than the other? (3 sentences maximum)

Answer 1

Ester can be synthesize in the Laboratory by heating the reaction mixture consisting of Alcohol ,Carboxylic acid and small amount of concentrated sulfuric acids act as catalyst in the vessel filtted with water cooled condenser to prevent loss of volatile material.

So Conventrated sulfuric acid is re-produced at the end of reaction mechanism so H₂SO₄ act as a catalyst for the reaction which speed up the rate of reaction.

Carboxylic acids and alcohols are often warmed together in the presence of a few drops of concentrated sulphuric acid in order to observe the smell of the esters formed.You would normally use small quantities of everything heated in a test tube stood in a hot water bath for a couple of minutes.Because the reactions are slow and reversible, you don't get a lot of ester produced in this time. The smell is often masked or distorted by the smell of the carboxylic acid. A simple way of detecting the smell of the ester is to pour the mixture into some water in a small beaker.Esters are virtually insoluble in water and tend to form a thin layer on the surface. Excess acid and alcohol both dissolve and are tucked safely away under the ester layer.Small esters like ethyl ethanoate smell like typical organic solvents (ethyl ethanoate is a common solvent in, for example, glues) for example, if you were making ethyl ethanoate from ethanoic acid and ethanol, the equation would be: