[WashableMarker]

Alright. We did a lab on ester synthesis [yay for sulfuric acid!] and made three esters. Here's one of the reactions, but I can't figure out which smell I was supposed to have gotten. Maybe I guessed the reaction wrong?

2-propanol + glacial acetic acid (ethanoic acid) --> 2-propyl ethanoate?

Can anybody direct me to somewhere, or does somebody know from their own knowledge, what this stuff should smell like? All I've been able to find is "fruity".

[mike]

propyl acetate or propyl ethanoate is the ester that smells like pear.

[WashableMarker]

propyl acetate or propyl ethanoate is the ester that smells like pear.

okay, thanks!
Does it not matter than 2-propanol was used instead of regular propanol? Is the name still propyl ethanoate? My insticts are telling me no... but organic chem doesn't seem to follow my instincts most of the time.

[mike]

2-propyl ethanoate sounds right to me.

or isopropyl acetate (yours is probably more correct though)

[mike]

As far as I know they are both found in pears, so I would guess that they both smell like pears. Otherwise go with fruity, it is often hard to classify a smell anyway.