November 28, 2024, 11:41:30 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Identification of an aliphatic ester  (Read 1856 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline CarbonLover

  • Very New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Identification of an aliphatic ester
« on: October 24, 2011, 12:59:19 PM »
Could someone help me identify this ester. This is what I know already:

  • Its empirical formula is C2H3O
  • Its relative molecular mass i 172
  • All the oxygen atoms are present in ester groupings
  • It decolourises aqueous bromine
  • Methanol is the only alcohol produced on hydrolysis
  • The proton NMR spectrum consists of two unsplit peaks of equal size.

I've tried and tried; there's obviously a C=C double bond, and two sets of equivalent hydrogen atoms, but everytime I come up with a structure, its molecular mass isn't 172. I'd really appreciate if someone could help me! Is there a way of doing this that doesn't involve so much trial and error perhaps?

Thanks in advance... :)


Offline sjb

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3653
  • Mole Snacks: +222/-42
  • Gender: Male
Re: Identification of an aliphatic ester
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2011, 01:27:24 PM »
Could someone help me identify this ester. This is what I know already:

  • Its empirical formula is C2H3O
  • Its relative molecular mass i 172
  • All the oxygen atoms are present in ester groupings
  • It decolourises aqueous bromine
  • Methanol is the only alcohol produced on hydrolysis
  • The proton NMR spectrum consists of two unsplit peaks of equal size.

I've tried and tried; there's obviously a C=C double bond, and two sets of equivalent hydrogen atoms, but everytime I come up with a structure, its molecular mass isn't 172. I'd really appreciate if someone could help me! Is there a way of doing this that doesn't involve so much trial and error perhaps?

Thanks in advance... :)



From the empirical formula and the molecular weight, what is the actual formula? How many double bond equivalents does this make?

If methanol is the only alcohol produced on hydrolysis, what does that mean for the other protons?

Seems a fairly straightforward structure, once you get it.

Sponsored Links