Esters are sweet-smelling substances

Question:

Esters are sweet-smelling substances and are used in making perfumes. Suggest some activity and the reaction involved for the preparation of an ester

with well labelled diagram.

Solution:

Esters as pointed, are pleasant smelling compounds. These are therefore, commonly used as flavouring agents and also in perfumes. When an

ester is reacted with water in the presence of a dilute acid like dilute HCl, acid and alcohol are formed as the product. The reaction is called ester

hydrolysis.

Ester hydrolysis is the reverse of esterification reaction.

When an ester is reacted with an aqueous solution of base like NaOH or KOH, the product is an alcohol and salt of the acid. For example,

The reaction is known as saponification reaction because it is the basis for the formation of soap.

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