Sciencemadness Discussion Board

H3PO4/P2O5 in esther synthesis

JoseTineo - 11-7-2018 at 19:00

can be used in an esterification reaction? the acid as a catalyst, and the phosphorus pentoxide as a dehydrating agent

wildfyr - 12-7-2018 at 03:42

You can use phosphoric acid, but it isn't quite as good a catalyst as sulfuric. P2O5 is generally not used directly IN the the reaction but rather is exposed to the same headspace to absorb water.