The esters are among the classes of organic substances responsible for the pleasant odor of flowers and fruits. The synthesis of these substances occurs through the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols, usually catalyzed by BrÖnsted-Lowry acid. This work presents the results of different methods of esterification using homogeneous catalysis like sulfuric acid and heterogeneous catalysis with commercial sulfonic resin (Amberlyst 35) and montmorilonite clay. All reactions were carried out with heating under reflux and repeated with use of the system Dean-Stark to remove water produced in the reaction. The use of Dean-Stark moves the equilibrium to the formation of the products and, consequently, reduces significantly the reaction time. The heterogeneous catalysts proved to be advantageous relatively to the use of sulfuric acid since the process of isolation is easier and provides an approach of Green Chemistry in Undergraduate experimental classes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.