Efficient liquid phase acylation of alcohols over basic ETS-10 molecular sieves

Acylation of alcohols with acetic acid can be carried out efficiently in the liquid phase over microporous titanosilicate ETS-10-type catalysts. The reaction was studied over ETS-10 exchanged with, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ba and H ions. Activity for acylation of primary alcohols depends on the exchanged alkali ion and increases in the order Li<Na<K<Ba∼H∼Rb∼Cs–ETS-10. These molecular sieves are also suitable for the acylation of secondary alcohols and esterification with long chain carboxylic acids.