In hydroesterification, alkenes and alkynes insert into the  bond of carboxylic acids. Vinyl acetate is produced industrially by the addition of acetic acid to acetylene in the presence of zinc acetate catalysts: Presently, zinc acetate is used as the catalyst:
Vinyl acetate can also be produced by palladium-catalyzed reaction of ethylene, acetic acid, and oxygen:
Silicotungstic acid is used to manufacture ethyl acetate by the alkylation of acetic acid by ethylene: