Isopentylic Esters Synthesis

Introduction
Esters are in a lot of natural products like flowers, spices and fruits. They are usually used in artificial flavorings. Carboxylic esters help amplify the sensory effect of esters. Isopentyl acetate is made from the direct esterification of acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol. The direct esterification of acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol is an equilibrium reaction that shifts the product to the side by using the excess of one of the starting reagents. Acetic acid usually used in excess because it is easier to remove from the reaction. The excess acetic acid and the remaining isopentyl alcohol are removed through extraction with water and sodium bicarbonate, during the isolation step. Anhydrous sodium sulfate is used to dry the