Esters

Esters are derived from carboxylic acids. A carboxylic acid contains the -COOH group, and in an ester the hydrogen in this group is replaced by a hydrocarbon group of some kind. This could be an alkyl group like methyl or ethyl, or one containing a benzene ring like phenyl.

NAMING ESTERS

In the case of ethyl ethanoate, for example, the ethyl group is listed before the name. "Ethanoate" comes from ethanoic acid.

While the IUPAC names of esters come from the parent alcohol and acid, many common esters are called by their trivial names. For example, ethanoate is commonly called acetate, methanoate is formate, propanoate is called propionate, and butanoate is called butyrate.