Preparing Banana Oil (Isoamyl Acetate) – Rate, Catalyst and Yield

ChemistryOrganic ChemistryAges 16–17

Heat acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol to prepare banana oil, tracking how much ester forms minute by minute. Toggle concentrated H₂SO₄ to see that the catalyst only speeds up how fast equilibrium is reached, not the final yield; only using excess alcohol or continuously removing water actually shifts the equilibrium toward the ester, matching how a real organic chemistry practical is set up.