Ethyl acetate ethanol to acetaldehyde, which leaves the wine with a sharp vinegar-like taste. In the field of entomology, ethyl acetate is an effective asphyxiant for use in insect collecting and study. In a killing jar charged with ethyl acetate, the vapors will kill the collected insect quickly without destroying it. Because it is not hygroscopic, ethyl acetate also keeps the insect soft enough to allow proper mounting suitable for a collection. Ethyl acetate can be hydrolyzed in acidic or basic conditions to regain acetic acid and ethanol. The use of an acid catalyst accelerates the hydrolysis, which is subject to the
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",