Tandem Transesterification–Esterification Reactions Using a Hydrophilic Sulfonated Silica Catalyst for the Synthesis of Wintergreen Oil from Acetylsalicylic Acid Promoted by Microwave Irradiation

Abstract

SiO2–SO3H, with a surface area of 115 m2/g and pore volume of 0.38 cm3g−1, and 1.32 mmol H+/g was used as a 20% w/w catalyst for the preparation of methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil or MS) from acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). A 94% conversion was achieved in a microwave reactor over 40 min at 120 °C in MeOH. The resulting crude product was purified by flash chromatography. The catalyst could be reused three times.

Keywords

• sulfonated silica catalyst (SiO₂–SO₃H)
• methyl salicylate
• green chemistry
• methylating agent
• deacetylation (acyl nucleophilic substitution)
• solid acid catalyst