Application and synthesis of ethyl oleate

Ethyl oleate is colorless oily liquid at room temperature and pressure, with significant aroma, insoluble in water, but soluble in most organic solvents. Ethyl oleate belongs to ester derivatives, is a commonly used edible flavor additive, has a wide range of applications in food and beverage production. In addition, the compound is also a common intermediate of organic synthesis and raw material of fine chemical production. It is also used in the production of lubricants, water resistant agents and resin tougheners. In a dry reaction flask, oleic acid (1 mmol) and ethanol (170 mmol) were mixed together, then the reaction mixture was heated to 343 K and kept at this temperature for 2 h stirring reaction. Then, SnBr2 catalyst was added to the reaction mixture, and the reaction mixture was stirred for several hours. After the reaction, the reaction mixture was directly filtered through diatomite to remove the insoluble precipitation in the reaction system. The filtrate obtained was extracted with water and ethyl acetate, and the organic layer was separated and dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, and the desiccants were removed by filtration. The filtrate was concentrated under vacuum, and the residue was separated and purified by silica gel column chromatography to obtain the target product molecule ethyl oleate.