Acetyl esters are chemical compounds in which an acetyl group (-C(O)CH3) is bonded to an ester group (-C(O)OR). The term “acetyl esters” can refer to a variety of different compounds, depending on the nature of the ester group.
Some common examples of acetyl esters include acetylated starches, which are obtained by the esterification of starches with acetic anhydride or vinyl acetate. The esterification results in the substitution of hydroxyl groups in the starch molecule with acetyl ester groups.