Ethyl acetate Fischer equilibrium mentioned above. In the laboratory, and usually for illustrative purposes only, ethyl esters are typically hydrolyzed in a two-step process starting with a stoichiometric amount of a strong base, such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction gives ethanol and sodium acetate, which is unreactive toward ethanol: The rate constant is 0.111 L/mol·s at 25 °C. The for rats is 5620 mg/kg, indicating low toxicity. Given that the chemical is naturally present in many organisms, there is little risk of toxicity. Overexposure to ethyl acetate may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Severe overexposure may cause weakness, drowsiness,
Ethyl group to polystyrene. Approximately 24.7 million tons of ethylbenzene were produced in 1999. Many ethyl-containing compounds are generated by electrophilic ethylation, i.e. treatment of nucleophiles with sources of Et. Triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate [EtO]BF is such a reagent. For good nucleophiles, less electrophilic reagents are employed, such as ethyl halides. In unsymmetrical ethylated compounds, the methylene protons in the ethyl substituent are diastereotopic. Chiral reagents are known to stereoselectively modify such substituents. The name of the group is derived from the Aether, the first-born Greek elemental god of air (and at that time a general term for any highly volatile compound) and "hyle",