Making an ester

Learning Objectives:

• To know the reactants needed to make an ester
• To be able to synthesise an ester

How to make an ester

Esters are aromatic chemicals, they have a smell.

Esters can be made to give different smells depending on what is used to make them.

Every ester is made from an alcohol and an acid

The acid used is a different acid to the catalyst which is concentrated sulphuric acid

We will use salicylic acid and ethanol to make an ester which is “Oil of Wintergreen”

 Method

·         Boil a beaker of water for a water bath

·         Take a boiling tube and add 5 cm depth of ethanol

·         Add a heaped spatula of salicylic acid (a powder)

·         See your teacher who will add some concentrated sulphuric acid (why is this?)

·         Place the boiling tube in your boiling water and remove the Bunsen burner (why do we remove the Bunsen burner?)

·         Leave in there for approx 10 mins

·         After 10 mins, pour the contents of the boiling tube into half a beaker of cold water

·         Smell it the oil which floats on top, but don’t go mental

 

This was my last lesson of the academic year with Year 9. A lovely class. I hope to teach them again.