Benzene → Acetyl Tributyl Citrate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

German Pat. No. 1 041 944 describes a process in which a citric acid ester is said to be prepared from a crude citric acid broth. Specifically, the authors describe a process for producing an ester of citric acid, in which a raw 30% citric acid broth is dehydrated with benzene and ethanol to a syrup. Butanol and butyl acetate, along with a tin catalyst, are added to the syrup and the mixture is heated to a temperature of 140-160° C., whereupon the reaction is halted with potassium hydroxide. The resulting reaction product is washed with sodium carbonate in water, and the crude mixture distilled. The authors report yielding acetyl tributyl citrate in the recovered material.

Provenance & Evidence