The side reactions in the esterification of phthalic anhydride with 2-ethylhexane-1-ol in the presence of organotitanates
Using synthetic, chromatographic and spectral methods, we studied the side reactions accompanying the preparation of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate from phthalic anhydride and 2-ethyl-hexane-1-ol in the presence of catalytic amounts of tetra-n-butyl titanate.The catalyst proper was titanium(IV) mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate. The possibility of a simultaneous gas-chromatographic quantitative determination of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, 2-ethylhexane-1-ol and tetra-n-butyl titanate, reported in the literature, has been refuted. In the esterification catalysed by hydrated titanium dioxide homogeneous catalysis by the formed organotitanate was dominating. The dissolving of hydrated titanium dioxide in the esterification of phthalic anhydride with 2-ethylhexane-1-ol was studied polarographically.