Isopentyl Acetate Synthesis Lab Report

This experiment was designed to prepare and purify isopentyl acetate, often known as banana oil due to the familiar odor of the fruit, via Fischer esterification. Steps taken were direct esterification of acetic acid with isopentyl alcohol and simple distillation to obtain pure isopentyl acetate. The equilibrium reaction does not favor the formation of the ester; therefore, the reaction must be shifted to the right in favor of the product. To achieve this, Le Chatelier’s Principle was used to force the reaction to take place as it was a reversible equilibrium reaction. Acetic acid was used in excess as it is easily removed from the reaction mixture and is less costly. The activation energy is lowered with the help of sulfuric acid and it also