Question

How can you prepare ethyl acetate from acetic acid?

Answer 1

Ethyl acetate is an ester of acetic acid and ethanol, with chemical formula $[C{H_3}COOC{H_2}C{H_3}]$. It is a colourless compound with sweet and fruity odour. It is a volatile compound. It is most commonly found ester in fruits.
Acetic acid or ethanoic acid is a carboxylic acid and is a constituent of vinegar. The chemical formula of acetic acid is $[C{H_3}COOH]$.

Complete step by step answer:
As we know, ethyl acetate is an ester. Given below is the structure of ethyl acetate.

To prepare ethyl acetate from acetic acid, esterification of acetic acid should be carried out.
When acetic acid reacts with ethanol in the presence of sulphuric acid, ethyl acetate is produced through the process of esterification. Esterification is the chemical reaction between carboxylic acid and an alcohol to produce an ester.
In this chemical reaction, ${H_2}S{O_4}$ acts as a dehydrating agent and eliminates water molecules to produce ester. The process of esterification is a reversible reaction and is quite a slow process. The ${H_2}S{O_4}$ also acts as a catalyst in this reaction.
The chemical reaction for the formation of ethyl acetate from acetic acid is shown below.
$C{H_3}COOH + C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \rightleftharpoons C{H_3}COOC{H_3}C{H_2} + {H_2}O$
The reaction is carried out by heating the reactants in the presence of ${H_2}S{O_4}$.

Additional information:
Ethyl acetate is an ester and esters are extensively used in fragrance, food flavouring and in cosmetics due to its pleasant smell. Esters are also used as an organic solvent. The polymer of ester that is polyester is used in the production of plastic.

Note: The esterification reaction involves combining carboxylic acid and an alcohol in presence of ${H_2}S{O_4}$ to obtain an ester. Remember that the alcohol mentioned here should be a primary alcohol.
Esterification can also take place by reacting an acid anhydride with an alcohol or the reaction between an acid chloride with an alcohol. Here, the alcohol mentioned is the primary alcohol.