Ethyl acetate
Ethyl ethanoate, a simple ester connecting alcohol and carboxylic-acid chemistry.
- Formula
- C4H8O2
- Functional group
- Esters
- Molar mass
- 88.11 g/mol
- Also known as
- Ethyl ethanoate, Acetic acid ethyl ester, Vinegar naphtha, Acetoxyethane, Acetic ether, Ethyl acetic ester
Overview
Ethyl ethanoate, a simple ester connecting alcohol and carboxylic-acid chemistry.
Its ethyl fragment is attached through oxygen, while its acyl fragment comes from ethanoic acid. Acid-catalysed hydrolysis gives ethanol and ethanoic acid reversibly; alkaline hydrolysis gives ethanol and ethanoate before any acid work-up. Product naming requires tracing both sides of the ester link.
Identifiers
- Formula
- C4H8O2
- Functional group
- Esters
- Molar mass
- 88.11 g/mol
- Also known as
- Ethyl ethanoate, Acetic acid ethyl ester, Vinegar naphtha, Acetoxyethane, Acetic ether, Ethyl acetic ester
Chemical identifiers
- SMILES
- CCOC(=O)C
- InChI
- InChI=1S/C4H8O2/c1-3-6-4(2)5/h3H2,1-2H3
- PubChem CID
- 8857
Properties
- Melting Point
- -83.8 °C
- Boiling Point
- 77.1 °C
- Density
- 0.9003 g/cu cm at 20 °C
- Water solubility
- In water, 8.0X10+4 mg/L at 25 °C
Related compounds
- Esters
Ethyl ethanoate, a simple ester connecting alcohol and carboxylic-acid chemistry.
Connected reactions
- Esterification: Ethanoic acid → Ethyl acetate
Ethanoic acid and ethanol combine reversibly to form ethyl acetate and water.
- Esterification: Ethanol → Ethyl acetate
Ethanoic acid and ethanol combine reversibly to form ethyl acetate and water.
- Acid hydrolysis: Ethyl acetate → Ethanoic acid
Ethyl acetate and water react reversibly to form ethanoic acid and ethanol.
- Acid hydrolysis: Ethyl acetate → Ethanol
Ethyl acetate and water react reversibly to form ethanoic acid and ethanol.
References
- PubChem Compound Summary: Ethyl acetate (CID 8857)National Center for Biotechnology Information · PubChem
Identity, molecular formula, molecular weight and aliases retrieved via PUG REST on 2026-09-08.
- OpenStax Organic Chemistry: Chemistry of estersJohn McMurry · OpenStax · 2023
Supports the qualitative structural interpretation of the recorded molecular structure; no new physical measurement or verified preparative yield is claimed.
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Ethyl acetate — melting pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8857#section=Melting-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 94th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2013-2014, p. 3-250
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Ethyl acetate — boiling pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8857#section=Boiling-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 94th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2013-2014, p. 3-250
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Ethyl acetate — densityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8857#section=Density. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 94th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2013-2014, p. 3-250
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Ethyl acetate — solubilityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8857#section=Solubility. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Banerjee S; Environ Sci Technol 18: 587-91 (1984)