Esters are known for their distinctive odors and are commonly used for food aroma and

fragrances. The general formula of an ester is RCOOR'.

Introduction
Esters are formed through reactions between an acid and an alcohol with the
elimination of water. An example of this is the reaction of acetic acid with an alcohol,
which yields an acetic ester and water.

The part enclosed by the red circle represents the ethyl group from the alcohol and the
part enclosed by the green rectangle represents the acetate group from the acid.

Esters can be named using a few steps

Esters are named as if the alkyl chain from the alcohol is a substituent. No number is
assigned to this alkyl chain. This is followed by the name of the parent chain from the
carboxylic acid part of the ester with an –e remove and replaced with the ending –
oate.

Example
Esters are formed through reactions between an acid and an alcohol with the
elimination of water. An example

1. First, identify the oxygen that is part of the continuous chain and bonded to carbon
on both sides. (On one side of this oxygen there will be a carbonyl present but on the
other side there won't be.)

2. Second, begin numbering the carbon chains on either side of the oxygen identified in
step 1.

3. Next, use this format: [alkyl on side further from the carbonyl] (space) [alkane on
the side with the carbonyl] - (In this case: [methyl] [methane])

4. Finally, change the ending of the alkane on the same side as the carbonyl from -e to
-oate. (In this case: methyl methanoate)
When an ester group is attached to a ring, the ester is named as a substituent on the
ring.

Benzenecarboxylic acid (Benzoic acid)

Other substituents that exist on either side of the ester are named in the same way as
they are on regular alkane chains. The only thing you must make sure of is placing the
substituent name on the part of the name that corresponds to the side of the ester that
it is on.
1-chloromethyl ethanoate

methyl 2-chloroethanoate

CH3COOCH2CH3

methyl propanoate

CH3COOCH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3

octyl ethanoate

References
1. Leigh, G. J., H. Favre, and Val Metanomski. Principles of Chemical Nomenclature
A Guide to Iupac Recommendations (IUPAC Chemical Data Series). Malden:
Blackwell Science, 1998.
2. McNaught, A. D., and A. Wilkinson. Compendium of Chemical Terminology. 2nd
ed. Blackwell Science, 1997.
3. Vollhardt, K. Peter C., and Neil E. Schore. Organic Chemistry Structure and
Function. New York: W. H. Freeman, 2007.

Outside Links
  http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Esters
 http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/IUPAC_n...emistry#Esters

Problems
Name the following:

Answer: propyl ethanoate

Answer: 3-bromopentyl 2-chlorobutanoate

Answer: ethyl hexanoate

Answer: ethyl 3-bromopentanoate

Answer: 4-nitrobenzenecarboxylic acid or

4-nitrobenzoic acid
Contributors
 Prof. Steven Farmer (Sonoma State University)