Ethyl acetate reactions
Labels:
#articel
Ethyl acetate can be hydrolyzed in acidic or basic conditions to regain acetic acid and ethanol. The use of an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid gives poor yields due to it being an equilibrium — the reverse reaction of the Fischer esterification.
To obtain high yields, it is preferable to use a stoichiometric amount of strong base, such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction gives ethanol and sodium acetate, which is not able to react with ethanol any longer:
CH3CO2C2H5 + NaOH → C2H5OH + CH3CO2Na
To obtain high yields, it is preferable to use a stoichiometric amount of strong base, such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction gives ethanol and sodium acetate, which is not able to react with ethanol any longer:
CH3CO2C2H5 + NaOH → C2H5OH + CH3CO2Na
