Question

Draw the structures of esters with the formula $$C_3{H}_6{O}_2$$.

Answer 1

Hint: At first think about the structure of ester so that you are able to draw the structure for a given molecular formula. The structure of ester is $R-CO-O-R^{\prime }$.

Complete answer:
An ester is a chemical compound derived from an acid in which at least one –OH group is replaced by an $-O-$ alkyl group. Esters are generally derived from substitution reactions of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol which is also known as an esterification reaction. From the given molecular formula we can draw only two structures of esters. They are ethyl formate and methyl acetate. Their structures are $H-CO-O-C{H}_2-C{H}_3$ and $C{H}_3-CO-O-C{H}_3$.

Additional Information:
Esterification is the process of combining carboxylic acid and alcohol to give at least one ester and water.
$R-CO-OH+R-OH\rightleftharpoons R-CO-O-R^{\prime }+H_{2}O$

In the above reaction, the forward reaction gives us esterification and the backward reaction gives us hydrolysis of the ester. The hydrolysis of esters in the presence of alkalis such as potassium hydroxide (lye) or sodium, a reaction called saponification which is utilized in the preparation of soaps from fats and oils and is also used for the quantitative estimation of esters.

Note:
Esters are common in organic chemistry and biological materials, and often have a pleasant characteristic, fruity odor. This leads to their extensive use in the fragrance and flavor industry. Ester bonds are also found in many polymers.