Catalytic reaction between fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether and sodium hydroxide to sodium fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether acetate on ZnO and SnO2 catalysts

Synthesis of sodium fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether acetate (C12-14 alkyl chain, oxyethylene unit number of 2, AEC-3Na) through the direct reaction between fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO-3) and NaOH was conducted with the use of commercial ZnO and SnO2 powders as catalysts in a solvent free and anaerobic atmosphere at 180‒220 °C. When the reaction was catalyzed by the ZnO catalyst with the NaOH/AEO-3 mol ratio of 2:1 and ZnO/AEO-3 mass ratio of 1:100 at 210 °C for 15 h, the AEC-3Na yield reached 71.8% at the selectivity of 95.9%. The ZnO catalyst with a lower basicity more effectively catalyzes the reaction than the SnO2 catalyst with a higher basicity. On the ZnO catalyst, the catalytic reaction activation is 72 kJ mol‒1. The impact of NaOH concentration on reaction rate is stronger than that of catalyst dosage.