Ester Lab Discussion

In this lab the starting materials (acetic acid and isopentyl alcohol) were reacted together. The refluxed solution never separated into two layers so the expected final product of isopentyl acetate was not found therefore there was no final weight or percent yield calculated. This could have been due to either a failure to mix the liquids well or from a frayed plastic connector piece in the distillation apparatus. In order to analyze the odor and IR spectroscopy another student’s product was used. The odor resembled a banana scent which is comparable to the expected odor of isopentyl acetate. The IR spectrum has a large dip around 1740cm^-1 confirming the presence of an ester. However, there is also a large peak at about 3600cm^-1 indicating some impurities in the product.