One-step synthesis of methyl glycolate by hydrolysis and esterification in an autoclave reactor

Abstract

The conventional route for the synthesis of methyl glycolate (MG) from chloroacetic acid (CA), sodium hydroxide and methanol involves mainly three steps: (1) hydrolysis of CA with aqueous sodium hydroxide to give glycolic acid, (2) condensation of glycolic acid to give glycolic acid oligomer, (3) transesterification of glycolic acid oligomer with methanol to give MG. In the present study, MG was synthesized in a single step by reaction of CA with sodium hydroxide and methanol in an autoclave reactor. The highest MG yield of 81.4% was obtained under suitable conditions of 8:1:1 methanol: sodium hydroxide: CA (molar ratio), after 5 h at 150 °C, in a laboratory autoclave reactor.