Electrochemical-Intensified Catalysis with a Supported 2-Methoxyphenothiazine for Enhanced Esterification of Acrylic Acid in Mild Conditions

In the framework of sustainable development, researchers in both traditional and modern chemistry are compelled to pursue innovation. The inherent drawbacks of conventional ester synthesis methods highlight the urgent need to develop efficient and environmentally benign approaches. This study introduces an electrochemical-intensified heterogeneous catalytic strategy for acrylate synthesis. A distinctive heterogeneous catalyst has been developed by bonding 2-methoxyphenothiazine onto nanosilica surface through the coupling agent 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane. The characterization of the catalyst was conducted through Infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermogravimetry (TG), as well as the Kjeldahl method, revealing a 12.86% loading and uniform distribution. The catalyst demonstrated remarkable efficacy in facilitating the esterification of acrylic acid and monohydric alcohols at room temperature, uniformly varying reaction rate processes compared to acid catalysis and achieving a catalytic yield exceeding 85%. Moreover, the catalytic activity largely remained consistent over six cycles. The electrochemical enhancement was instrumental in modifying the traditional esterification process. The electrochemical-intensified heterogeneous catalytic system for the esterification of acrylic acid meets the standards for green production. This research provides novel insights into integrated catalytic technologies for esterification, contributing to the advancement of sustainable chemistry.