Purpose:
The purpose of this laboratory was to synthesize isopentyl acetate, commonly known as banana oil, in a reaction of methanol and isopentyl alcohol catalyzed by sulfuric acid. Through this Fischer esterification reaction, it was possible to learn about using a Reflux condenser to run a reaction as well as purifying the product through various washes and extractions along with simple distillation. In addition, the product of the experiment was carefully analyzed based upon boiling point, physical characteristics, IR and 1H NMR. The overall objective was to successfully isolate the product of isopentyl acetate and observe the purity of this product.
Reaction Scheme: Procedure:
The procedure for this experiment was drawn from Wissinger laboratory manual.1 The only deviation from this procedure was that the Variac outlet for the Reflux condenser was set at sixty for fifty minutes rather than at forty-five to fifty for sixty to seventy-five minutes. For the sodium bicarbonate washes, four washes were completed before the solution was deemed no longer acidic. As well, for the NaCl wash, 10mL of aqueous NaCl solution was used.
Observations and Results:
There were a variety of physical observations that could be made as the experiment progressed. Initially after the addition of the sulfuric acid from the Repipet, the solution was a slight yellow …show more content…
In particular, there was a significant amount of drying agent added which may have resulted in the loss of some product. As well, some product was lost in the removal of the product from the drying agent and during the distillation because of incomplete transfer. In addition, some was also likely lost through draining along with the aqueous phase during the washes and extractions. Improving the efficiency of these could increase the yield of the product by causing less
The purpose of this laboratory was to synthesize isopentyl acetate, commonly known as banana oil, in a reaction of methanol and isopentyl alcohol catalyzed by sulfuric acid. Through this Fischer esterification reaction, it was possible to learn about using a Reflux condenser to run a reaction as well as purifying the product through various washes and extractions along with simple distillation. In addition, the product of the experiment was carefully analyzed based upon boiling point, physical characteristics, IR and 1H NMR. The overall objective was to successfully isolate the product of isopentyl acetate and observe the purity of this product.
Reaction Scheme: Procedure:
The procedure for this experiment was drawn from Wissinger laboratory manual.1 The only deviation from this procedure was that the Variac outlet for the Reflux condenser was set at sixty for fifty minutes rather than at forty-five to fifty for sixty to seventy-five minutes. For the sodium bicarbonate washes, four washes were completed before the solution was deemed no longer acidic. As well, for the NaCl wash, 10mL of aqueous NaCl solution was used.
Observations and Results:
There were a variety of physical observations that could be made as the experiment progressed. Initially after the addition of the sulfuric acid from the Repipet, the solution was a slight yellow …show more content…
In particular, there was a significant amount of drying agent added which may have resulted in the loss of some product. As well, some product was lost in the removal of the product from the drying agent and during the distillation because of incomplete transfer. In addition, some was also likely lost through draining along with the aqueous phase during the washes and extractions. Improving the efficiency of these could increase the yield of the product by causing less