Ethyl benzoate
Encyclopedia
Ethyl benzoate, C9H10O2, is the ester
formed by the condensation of benzoic acid
and ethanol
. It is a colorless liquid that is almost insoluble in water, but miscible with most organic solvents.
As with many volatile esters, ethyl benzoate has a pleasant odor which could be described similar to wintergreen mint. It is a component of some artificial fruit flavors.
Ester
Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...
formed by the condensation of benzoic acid
Benzoic acid
Benzoic acid , C7H6O2 , is a colorless crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid. The name derived from gum benzoin, which was for a long time the only source for benzoic acid. Its salts are used as a food preservative and benzoic acid is an important precursor for the synthesis...
and ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
. It is a colorless liquid that is almost insoluble in water, but miscible with most organic solvents.
As with many volatile esters, ethyl benzoate has a pleasant odor which could be described similar to wintergreen mint. It is a component of some artificial fruit flavors.