''n''-Butyl acetate is an

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

with the formula . A colorless, flammable liquid, it is the ester derived from ''n''-

butanol Butanol (also called butyl alcohol) is a four-carbon alcohol with a formula of C4 H9 OH, which occurs in five isomeric structures (four structural isomers), from a straight-chain primary alcohol to a branched-chain tertiary alcohol; all are a bu ...

and

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...

. It is found in many types of fruit, where it imparts characteristic flavors and has a sweet smell of banana or apple. It is used as an industrial solvent. The other three isomers (four, including

stereoisomer In stereochemistry, stereoisomerism, or spatial isomerism, is a form of isomerism in which molecules have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in ...

s) of butyl acetate are

isobutyl acetate The chemical compound isobutyl acetate, also known as 2-methylpropyl ethanoate (IUPAC name) or β-methylpropyl acetate, is a common solvent. It is produced from the esterification of isobutanol with acetic acid. It is used as a solvent for lacqu ...

, ''tert''-butyl acetate, and ''sec''-butyl acetate (two

enantiomer In chemistry, an enantiomer (Help:IPA/English, /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''), also known as an optical isomer, antipode, or optical antipode, is one of a pair of molecular entities whi ...

s).

Production and use

Butyl acetate is commonly manufactured by the Fischer esterification of

(or its isomer to make an isomer of butyl acetate) and

with the presence of

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...

: :

Butyl acetate is mainly used as a solvent for coatings and inks. It is a component of fingernail polish.

Occurrence in nature

Apples, especially of the "

Red Delicious Red Delicious is a variety of apple with a red exterior and sweet taste. Known as "the Reds" in the industry, this variety is the result of a chance seedling. It was first recognized in Madison County, Iowa, in 1872. Despite its name, it is not r ...

" variety, are flavored in part by this chemical. The alarm pheromones emitted by the Koschevnikov gland of

honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...

s contain butyl acetate.

References

External links

Ethylene and other chemicals in fruit

{{Esters Ester solvents Flavors Acetate esters Commodity chemicals Sweet-smelling chemicals Butyl esters