Preparation

Ethyl acetate is traditionally synthesised from by heating ethanol with ethanoic acid in the presence of a catalytic amount of a strong acid such as sulphuric acid (the "Fischer" method).

CH3COOH + CH3CH2OH CH3COOCH2CH3 + H2O

The equilibrium lies slightly on the ester side; yields can be improved by removing water as an azeotropic mixture with benzene (or a drying agent like molecular sieves) or by the use of excess alcohol (application of le Chatelier's principle).

Other routes include the reaction of acetyl chloride (ethanoyl chloride) with ethanol.