Study on green synthesis of benzyl acetate catalyzed by yttrium nitrate

The optimum reaction conditions of the synthesis of benzyl acetate using Yttrium nitrate hexahydrate as catalyst from acetic acid and benzyl alcohol were reported for the first time.The results showed that the best conditions were:the amount of catalyst 1.5% of the amount of benzyl alcohol(molar percentage);the molar ratio of acetic acid to benzyl alcohol 1.2 ∶1.0;reaction time 2.0h with cyclohexane acting as the water-carrying agent.The yield was over 93.2% under the above condition.Compared with the traditional synthetic method using concentrated sulfuric acid as catalyst,this protocol has the advantages of mild condition,high yields,simple operation,environmental friendly as well as repeatedly usage of the catalyst.