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].
Solvent for nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate; solvent mixture for cellulose ethers, organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals.
[1] Sripada, Sarada and James R. Kastner. “Continuous catalytic esterification using a solid acid activated carbon monolith: Comparison of granular and monolith forms with a commercial catalyst.” Chemical Engineering Journal 43 29 (2023): 0.
