Study on the Catalytic Activity of Cerous Methanesulfonate in Synthesizing Chloroacetate

Cerous methanesulfonate, which ws used as the catalyst in the esterification of chloroacetic acid with isopropanol. was synthesized and characterized by TGA and FTIR. Various factors that affected the esterification have been investigated. Under the condition of 1.1/1 molar ratio of isopropanol to chloroacetic acid, 1.0% catalyst (molar percent of chloroacetic acid),2.5?h reaction time,temperature 80～85?℃, 2.5?ml cyclohexane as water-carrying agent,the esterification yield of isopropyl chloroacetate reaches 98.6%. Compared with stannic chloride, cerous chloride,and other Lewis acids,the catalyti activity of cerous methanesulfonate is the best. And the cerous methanesulfonate an be reused by simple phase-separation.Cerous methanesulfonate can be used as the catalyst in synthesizing other chloroacetate, the yield is over 98.0%