OH-induced oxidation mechanisms of isopropyl, isobutyl, and tert-butyl acetates have been investigated at room temperature (298 5 K) and atmospheric pressure by photolyzing CH3ONO/acetate/NO mixtures with FTIR spectrometry as analytical device. All main oxidation products of isopropyl and isobutyl acetates were detected and their formation yields were determined: from isopropyl acetate, acetic anhydride (0.72 +/-0.07), acetone (0.26 +/- 0.03), acetic acid (0.06 +/- 0.03), and peroxyacetyl nitrate; from isobutyl acetate, acetone (0.78 +/- 0.12), formic acetic anhydride (0.52 +/- 0.06), acetoxyacetaldehyde (0.18 +/- 0.06), acetic acid (0.08 +/-0.02), and peroxyisobutyryl nitrate. For tert-butyl acetate, preliminary results have been obtained and two oxidation products were detected: acetic anhydride (0.49 +/- 0.04) and acetone (0.24 +/- 0.04). From these data, oxidation schemes of these acetates were elucidated. This study shows that the presence of the ester function promotes the H-atom abstraction on the carbon in the cc-position of the oxygenated function. Concerning the reactivity of alkoxy radicals, this study confirms the a-ester rearrangement proposed recently by Tuazon et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A, 1998, 102, 2316). Moreover, it has been shown that nonlinear alkoxy radicals formed by the oxidation of acetates predominantly decompose instead of reacting with 02 and isomerizing.