Used the information below to solve for the therotical yield of n-butyl Acetate
Theoretical yield of n-butyl acetate = (Molecular weight of n-butyl acetate / Molecular weight of n-butanol) x 100%
Observations:
The reaction mixture changes from a clear liquid to a cloudy mixture as the esterification reaction proceeds. A fruity smell of n-butyl acetate can be detected during the reaction.
Procedure:
1. In a round-bottom flask, add 50 ml of n-butanol, 50 ml of acetic acid, and a few drops of sulfuric acid as a catalyst.
2. Attach a reflux condenser to the round-bottom flask and heat the mixture under reflux for 2-3 hours.
3. After refluxing, cool the mixture to room temperature and transfer it to a separatory funnel.
4. Add an equal volume of sodium bicarbonate solution to neutralize the mixture.
5. Shake the separatory funnel gently and allow the layers to separate.
6. Collect the organic layer (n-butyl acetate) and transfer it to a round-bottom flask.
7. Distill the n-butyl acetate using a distillation set-up to purify and collect the product.
Results:
- The volume of n-butyl acetate collected: 40 ml
- Theoretical yield of n-butyl acetate: 75%
Conclusion:
The synthesis of n-butyl acetate was successfully carried out through the esterification reaction of n-butanol and acetic acid. The yield obtained was 75% of the theoretical yield, indicating a good conversion of reactants to the desired product. Further optimization of reaction conditions could potentially improve the yield of n-butyl acetate in future experiments
To calculate the theoretical yield of n-butyl acetate, we need to first determine the molecular weight of n-butyl acetate and n-butanol.
- Molecular weight of n-butyl acetate (C6H12O2) = 6(12.01) + 12(1.01) + 2(16.00) = 116.16 g/mol
- Molecular weight of n-butanol (C4H10O) = 4(12.01) + 10(1.01) + 16.00 = 74.12 g/mol
Now, we can plug these values into the formula:
Theoretical yield of n-butyl acetate = (116.16 / 74.12) x 100% = 156.68%
Since the theoretical yield cannot exceed 100%, we can infer that the experimental yield of 75% is the maximum achievable yield under the given reaction conditions. The experimental yield obtained in this case indicates a good conversion of reactants to the desired product.