Synthesis of isoamyl acetate catalyzed by ferric tri-dodecanesulfonate

The esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol catalyzed by ferric tri-dodecanesulfonate was studied.The effects of different factors such as reaction time, the dosage of catalyst and the ratio of acetic acid to isoamyl alcohol on the yield of isoamyl acetate were carefully examined. The experiment results show that the preferable reaction conditions are as follows,when the amount of acetic acid is 0.1 mol, the molar ratio of isoamyl alcohol to acetic acid is 1.1,the amount of catalyst is (1.6 g)(2.0 mmol), the amount of cyclohexane used as the water-carrying agent is 6 mL, through reacting 40 min, the yield of isoamyl acetate reaches 95.2 %. The catalyst retains its activity after reuse five times. The product was characterized by refractive index and IR.No harmful pollutant produces from the process.