I got a A (predicted score) for my Chemistry HL Extended Essay. The topic was “Investigation into the effectiveness of different Ionic Liquids as solvents in the synthesis reaction of benzyl acetate produced by the esterification reaction between benzyl alcohol and acetic acid based on Green Chemistry Principles”

 

[Table of Contents]

 

[Sample excerpts]

1. Introduction

Benzyl ethanoate is a typical form of ester, which is an aromatic compound with the smell of jasmine. It is heavily used in modern chemical industries such as pharmaceutical industry, flavorings in food industry and textile industry. Benzyl ethanoate has chemical formula of C9H10O2 with benzyl and carboxylic groups attached. Its common applications include: organic solvent in plastics and resin, cellulose acetate, fragrance in soaps, detergence, polishes and inks (Matsuoka, 1996). Remarkable use of benzyl ethanoate is demonstrated in apiology. Unique smell of benzyl ethanoate attracts male orchid bees, who are main providers of essential oils of many flowers. Also, orchid bees use benzyl ethanoate to synthesize vital pheromones (Alexandra, 2011). The oxidation of ethanoic acid by the catalyst produces benzyl ethanoate. Though benzyl ethanoate is adapted to various natural and engineering processes, the way of producing ester still remains hazardous. So this investigation aims to explore and to design a greener pathway to synthesize benzyl alcohol and ethanoic acid using Ionic Liquids (IL) of varying chain length of the cations as solvents.

Esterification reaction is a slow, endothermic, and equilibrium reaction with high activation energy barrier in the absence of catalyst (Nithya et al, 2016)5. Conventional industrial process of producing benzyl ethanoate is done through condensation of benzyl alcohol and ethanoic acid with batch process using mineral acids such as sulfuric acid as catalysts. However, this process possesses unavoidable flaws such as side reactions, corrosion of equipment, and tedious isolation of catalyst and product (Lungarya et al, 2016). This violates the 7th principle of Green Chemistry, which states raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting. Continuous scientists’ attempts are being made to find more efficient solvent that allows for higher conversion…

 

  • Total number of pages: 36 pages
  • Topic: Investigation into the effectiveness of different Ionic Liquids as solvents in the synthesis reaction of benzyl acetate produced by the esterification reaction between benzyl alcohol and acetic acid based on Green Chemistry Principles
  • Subject: Extended Essay (Chemistry)
  • The file is in PDF format.