PRODUCTION OF ALLYL 2-HYDROXYISOBUTYRATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently obtain allyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate useful as a raw material for medicines and agrochemicals by an industrially advantageous method by reacting methyl hydroxyisobutyrate with allyl alcohol in the presence of a esterification catalyst. SOLUTION: (A) Methyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate is reacted with (B) allyl alcohol in the molar ratio of the component B to the component A of 0.1-100, preferably 0.1-10 in the presence of (C) a transesterification catalyst at 20-200 deg.C, preferably 80-150 deg.C for 5 minutes to 24 hours, preferably 10 minutes to 12 hours to give the objective compound. Methyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate having <=0.3 mg-KOH/g acid value is preferably used as the component A. The water content in a raw material solution comprising the components A and B is preferably <=1,000 ppm. An organotin compound (e.g. dibutyltin oxide) or an organic titanate compound (e.g. titanium tetramethoxide) are preferably used as the component C.