Esterification of n-Butanol with Acetic Acid in the Presence of Heteropoly Acids with Different Structures and Compositions

The esterification reaction of n-butanol with acetic acid (BuOH] : HOAc] = 1 : 15 mol/mol; 55°C, 5% H₂O) was studied in the presence of tungsten heteropoly acids of the Keggin (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀, H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀, H₅PW₁₁TiO₄₀, H₅PW₁₁ZrO₄₀, and H₃PW₁₁ThO₃₉) and Dawson structure (-H₆P₂W₁₈O₆₂, H₆P₂W₂₁O₇₁(H₂O)₃, H₆As₂W₂₁O₆₉(H₂O), and H₂₁B₃W₃₉O₁₃₂). The reaction orders with respect to H₆P₂W₂₁O₇₁(H₂O)₃, H₃PW₁₂O₄₀, and H₆P₂W₁₈O₆₉are equal to 0.78, 1.00, and 0.97, respectively. It was found that the reaction rate depends on the acidity, as well as on the structure and composition of heteropoly acids. The H₂₁B₃W₃₉O₁₃₂heteropoly acid is most active, whereas the Keggin-structure heteropoly acids exhibit the lowest activities. Of the Keggin structure heteropoly acids, H₅PW₁₁ZrO₄₀exhibits the highest activity because of the presence of a Lewis acid site in its structure.