''n''-Butyl acetate is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...

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 O H, 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. 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 lacque ...

, ''tert''-butyl acetate, and ''sec''-butyl acetate (two enantiomers).

Production and use

Butyl acetate is commonly manufactured by the Fischer esterification of

(or its isomer to make an isomer of butyl acetate) and acetic acid with the presence of sulfuric acid: : Synthesis Butyl acetate

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 type of apple with a red exterior and sweet taste that was first recognized in Madison County, Iowa, in 1872. Today, the name ''Red Delicious'' comprises more than 50 cultivars. From 1968 to 2018, it was the most produced cu ...

' variety, are flavored in part by this chemical. The

alarm pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavi ...

s emitted by the

Koschevnikov gland The Koschevnikov gland is a gland of the honeybee located near the sting shaft. The gland produces an alarm pheromone that is released when a bee stings. The pheromone contains more than 40 different compounds, including pentylacetate, butyl ...

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

s contain butyl acetate.

References

External links

Ethylene and other chemicals in fruit

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