Study on the synthesis of monoethyl fumarate catalyzed by aluminum chloride

The synthetic conditions of antimicrobial preservative monoethyl fumarate were studied. Monoethyl fumarate was synthesized with maleic anhydride through the esterification and isomerization. The optimal condition was as follows: esterification temperature 60 ℃, esterification time 2.5 h, isomerization temperature 90 ℃, isomerization time 2.5 h, catalyst dosage 2.5 g/mol. The yield of monoethyl fumarate was 91.3%. Moreover, the structure of monoethyl fumarate was characterized by elementary analysis, infrared spectrum and mass spectrum, and this synthetic method is feasible and suitable for industry.