[bassicsound]

Hi guys (this is my first topic),

I suppose i need your help, as I am a chemical engineer student and I have a small background in organic chemistry. I am supposed to "design" an organic chemical industry in which the interesterification of sucrose with methyl palmitate will take place (mass balance,flow chart etc.). The problem is that i also have to know the mechanism of the interesterification reaction. I couldn't find anything in my organic chemistry books so I made this attempt based on some articles i found. Could you please let me know if it's correct and what mistakes i've made?

(Is it a carbonyl addition in which the nucleophile (alkylate ion) adds on the carboly carbon of the ester bond?)

P.S.1. Can the sucrose ester be created via enolate ion formation?
P.S.2. Sorry for any grammar mistakes, it has been a while since i had to make use of my english!



Thnx in advance

[Jorriss]

That seems like a good potential reaction mechanism, although there are better people to ask than myself, but if you ran that experiment, which it sounds like you will, it might be different.

Btw, I thought you had really good english.

[bassicsound]

Thnx for the reply,
the products of the experiment were 69% monoester, 15% diester and 8% triester and I found from the bibliography that the more likely OH to react are the ones not directly connected to the rings ( I don't know if that helps at all). Does anyone have any idea about the "enolate ion formation" (from what i read in Wikipedia i think that sucrose esters can't be created this way, but i would like a more experienced opinion about that).

Thnx again