Catalytic Activity of Copper Methanesulfonate in Synthesis of Butyrate

Copper methanesulfonate was synthesized and used as a catalyst in the esterification of n-butyric acid with isoamyl alcohol. The results showed that at the condition of 1.2∶1 molar ratio of isoamyl alcohol to n-butyric acid, 0.5% catalyst(molar percent of n-butyric acid), 2.5 h, no water-carrying agent, at reflux temperature, the esterification degree achieved 95.8%. Copper methanesulfonate can be reused by simple phase-separation, no need of regeneration. It has merits of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst. The catalytic activities of different Lewis acids were compared with it.