Synthesis of 2-Methylpropylpropanoate from Propanol and 2-Methyl-1-Propanol. Starting with propanol and 2-methyl-1-propanol, describe how you would prepare 2-methylpropylpropanoate? (You will need the reagents H2SO4 , NaOH and KMnO4 at various stages of your synthesis.

Synthesis of 2-Methylpropylpropanoate from Propanol and 2-Methyl-1-Propanol

The synthesis of 2-methylpropylpropanoate from propanol and 2-methyl-1-propanol involves several stages. Firstly, the two alcohols must be converted into their corresponding esters, which can be done through the Fischer esterification reaction. This involves the reaction of the alcohol with an acid, such as sulfuric acid (H2SO4), to form the ester and water (Huber and Fröhlich, 2018). The reaction requires an excess of the acid, and is typically carried out at a temperature of around 120°C (Huber and Fröhlich, 2018). Once the esters have been formed, the second step involves the reaction of the two esters to form the desired product. This can be accomplished through the use of a strong base, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The reaction of the two esters with sodium hydroxide produces the desired 2-methylpropylpropanoate and sodium propionate (Gambarotta and Visentin, 2015). Cont…