Esterification of succinic acid using sulfated zirconia supported on SBA-15

Abstract

Catalytic esterification of succinic acid with ethanol to obtain diethyl succinate (DES), a nontoxic plasticizer, is reported. Three sulfated zirconias supported on SBA-15 [SZ-SBA-15(X)] with Si/Zr molar ratios (X) of 10, 20, and 30 were syn- thesized and characterized. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms and X-ray dif- fraction patterns evidenced preservation of the ordered mesoporous structure of the catalysts after incorporation of Zr. Yields of DES greater than 85 % were obtained at the final reaction time by using SZ-SBA-15(10) and SZ-SBA-15(20) catalysts, which were higher than those achieved with Amberlyst 36. Reuse of the SZ-SBA-15(20) catalyst showed that, even though the structure of the support was preserved, decreases in sulfur concentration and in the DES yield occurred.