Synthesis of Methyl Esters by Titanate-catalyzed Transesterifications

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/hlca.19820650408

The low solubility of tetramethyl titanate has so far prevented the laboratory use of titanate-catalyzed transesterifications with formation of methyl esters.Two procedures are described here, which allow the application of this exceedingly mild method to the synthesis of methyl esters: one uses methyl propionate/Ti(OEt)4, the other one uses methanol/Gly-Ti, a new type of catalyst, prepared from Ti(OEt)4/ethylene glycol 2:1.