Ethyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate (E-2HIBA) has a wide range of applications in flavor and fragrance ingredients, green solvents, and pharmaceuticals. E-2HIBA has been synthesized by the batch transesterification of methyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate with ethanol in the presence of titanium tetraethoxide (reaction conditions: 96 h, yield 97 %) and the esterification of 2-HIBA with an acid catalyst. The direct esterification of 2-HIBA with ethanol using an acid catalyst appears to be a commercially viable approach to produce E-2HIBA [1].
