Acetic Acid → Benzyl acetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A one-liter flask is charged with 450 grams of acetic acid, 92 grams of toluene and a catalyst mixture containing 34.1 grams of 5 wt. % palladium on charcoal, 100 grams of KOAc and 14 grams of stannous acetate. While the flask containing the reaction mixture is constantly stirred at about 100° C., air is continuously blown through the reaction mixture at a rate of about 0.5 liter/min. measured at 25° C. and 760 mm Hg for about 9 hours. Gas chromatographic (G.C.) analysis of the reaction mixture shows that about 80 mol % of toluene is converted to form approximately 91.5 mol % of benzyl acetate, 7.5 mol % of benzyl aldehyde and 1 mol % of benzyl diacetate.

Provenance & Evidence