Sulfamic acid: An efficient acid catalyst for esterification of FFA

Esterification is one of the most fundamental reactions in organic chemistry. It has a great application in both laboratory work and industrial processes on account of its versatility. In this study sulfamic acid (H2NSO3H, SA) was used as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl and ethyl esters (FAEEs and FAMEs) under different conditions (fatty acid type, molar ratio, temperature, and % catalyst). Esterification using methanol and ethanol resulted in a higher fatty acid alkyl ester yield. The best result was obtained with ethanol, which yielded 91.2–97.7% FAEEs. However, in the same conditions the FAMEs were obtained with lower yields. These results demonstrate that this green methodology has high potential for the synthesis of fatty acid alkyl esters.