Application of a Sulfonated Styrene-(Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate) Resin as Catalyst

The present study describes the synthesis of a sulfonated styrene resin cross-linked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The catalytic activity of the resin was assessed in the esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol. An activation energy of 16.36 kJ/mol was obtained, which is considerably lower than that of other catalyst systems reported in the literature. The developed catalyst achieved a conversion rate (87% in 2 h of reaction) higher than those obtained in studies with sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene resins. This result was achieved at lower temperatures, using a more than 10 times lower catalyst concentration than that reported in the literature.