Acetylation of anilines, amines, and alcohols using 5%MoO3–SiO2 and 5%WO3–ZrO2 as mesoporous acid catalysts

Abstract

This paper presents an efficient approach for acetylating anilines, amines and alcohols with acetic anhydride using in-house synthesized and environmentally friendly 5%MoO₃–SiO₂ and 5%WO₃–ZrO₂ acid catalysts. By incorporating molybdenum and tungsten oxides into the porous supports of SiO₂ and ZrO₂, we created acid catalysts with large surface areas that demonstrated excellent reactivity and stability. The 5%MoO₃–SiO₂ catalyst was slightly more active in the acetylation of anilines, with conversions ranging from 76 to 100%. The 5%WO₃–ZrO₂ was more active in the acetylation of alcohols, with conversions ranging from 27 to 99%. The higher surface area of the catalysts and the high nucleophilicity of the amines and anilines appear to be the driving force for higher catalytic activity in these compounds with the HPMC/H₂O system.