  Little is known about the chemistry of isocyanates (compounds with the
functional group R-N=C=O) in the interstellar medium, as only four of them have
been detected so far: isocyanate radical (NCO), isocyanic acid (HNCO),
N-protonated isocyanic acid (H$_2$NCO$^+$) and methyl isocyanate (CH$_3$NCO).
The molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027, located in the Galactic Centre, represents
an excellent candidate to search for new isocyanates since it exhibits high
abundances of the simplest ones, HNCO and CH$_3$NCO. After CH$_3$NCO, the next
complex isocyanates are ethyl isocyanate (C$_2$H$_5$NCO) and vinyl isocyanate
(C$_2$H$_3$NCO). Their detection in the ISM would enhance our understanding of
the formation of these compounds in space. We have detected C$_2$H$_5$NCO and
H$_2$NCO$^+$ towards G+0.693-0.027 (the former for the first time in the
interstellar medium) with molecular abundances of (4.7$-$7.3)$\times$10$^{-11}$
and (1.0$-$1.5)$\times$10$^{-11}$, respectively. A ratio CH$_3$NCO /
C$_2$H$_5$NCO = 8$\pm$1 is obtained; therefore the relative abundance
determined for HNCO:CH$_3$NCO:C$_2$H$_5$NCO is 1:1/55:1/447, which implies a
decrease by more than one order of magnitude going progressively from HNCO to
CH$_3$NCO and to C$_2$H$_5$NCO. This is similar to what has been found for e.g.
alcohols and thiols and suggests that C$_2$H$_5$NCO is likely formed on the
surface of dust grains. In addition, we have obtained column density ratios of
HNCO / NCO > 269, HNCO / H$_2$NCO$^+$ $\sim$ 2100 and C$_2$H$_3$NCO /
C$_2$H$_5$NCO~<~4. A comparison of the Methyl~/~Ethyl ratios for isocyanates
(-NCO), alcohols (-OH), formiates (HCOO-), nitriles (-CN) and thiols (-SH) is
performed and shows that ethyl-derivatives may be formed more efficiently for
the N-bearing molecules than for the O- and S-bearing molecules.
