Ethyl sulfate process in which ethylene is reacted with sulfuric acid to produce ethyl sulfate followed by hydrolysis, but this method has been mostly replaced by direct hydration of ethylene. Ethyl sulfate can be produced in a laboratory setting by reacting ethanol with sulfuric acid under a gentle boil, while keeping the reaction below 140 °C. The sulfuric acid must be added dropwise or the reaction must be actively cooled because the reaction itself is highly exothermic. If the temperature exceeds 140 °C, the ethyl sulfate product tends to react with residual ethanol starting material, producing diethyl ether. If the temperature exceeds
Ethyl nitrate Ethyl nitrate Ethyl nitrate is the ethyl ester of nitric acid and has the chemical formula . It is a colourless, volatile, highly flammable liquid. It is used in organic synthesis and as an intermediate in the preparation of some drugs, dyes, and perfumes. Ethyl nitrate is found in the atmosphere, where it can react with other gases to form smog. Originally thought to be a pollutant, formed mainly by the combustion of fossil fuels, recent analysis of ocean water samples reveal that in places where cool water rises from the deep, the water is saturated with alkyl nitrates, likely