How to make Banana, Mushroom, Orange, and Pear Flavoring (Acetate Esters)

Organic esters tend to be smelly molecules. Some of them are pleasant smelling, while others are quite pungent and unpleasant. In this video, we will be using acetic anhydride to acetylate 1-pentanol to make banana flavoring. The same reaction can be carried out on several other alcohols, however, to make other scents, such as mushroom, orange, or pear.