Esters (Oxford AQA IGCSE Chemistry): Revision Note
Naming Esters
Alcohols and carboxylic acids react to make esters in esterification reactions
Esters are compounds with the functional group R-COO-R
Ethanoic acid will react with ethanol in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid (catalyst) to form ethyl ethanoate:
CH3COOH + C2H5OH → CH3COOC2H5 + H2O
The ester functional group
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Ethanoic Acid + Ethanol
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Examiner Tips and Tricks
You are only expected to be able to give the name of ethyl ethanoate, but you should be able to recognise a compound as an ester from its name or its structural formula.
Properties & Uses of Esters
Esters are sweet smelling oily liquids used in food flavourings and perfumes
They are volatile, meaning they vaporise easily
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