Objective: Prelab Exercise 23456 1 Synthesis of Isopentyl Acetate (Banana Oil) Fisher Esterification Write out the reaction mechanism What purpose does sulfuric acid serve in this reaction? How are sulfuric acid and acetic acid separated from the product? What components are expected to be present in the crude product before distillation? How does IR determine if all the alcohol has been converted to an ester? What is the limiting reagent?