Synthesis route of methyl methacrylate

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is an important organic synthesis intermediate widely used in industries such as plastics, coatings, adhesives, etc. The following will introduce a synthetic route using methyl methacrylate as the raw material.
We need to prepare two raw materials, methyl acrylate and methanol. Methacrylic acid can be synthesized through acrylic esterification reaction, while acrylic acid can be obtained by hydrolysis of acrylonitrile. The specific synthesis route is as follows:
The first step is to hydrolyze acrylonitrile with water (H2O) under alkaline conditions to produce acrylic acid. This step of the reaction needs to be carried out under heating conditions, usually at 150-200 degrees Celsius, and the reaction time is several hours. After the reaction is completed, acrylic acid is purified by distillation.
The second step is to esterify acrylic acid with methanol to produce methyl methacrylate. This reaction is usually carried out under acidic conditions, and commonly used catalysts include sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, etc. The reaction temperature is generally between 60-80 degrees Celsius, and the reaction time is several hours. After the reaction is complete, methyl methacrylate is obtained by distillation purification.
The advantages of the synthesis route of methyl methacrylate are easy availability of raw materials, mild reaction conditions, short reaction time, and high product purity. However, there are also some issues with this synthetic route. Firstly, there are certain environmental pollution issues in the preparation process of acrylonitrile, and it is necessary to control the discharge of waste gas and wastewater reasonably. Secondly, the catalysts used in esterification reactions are usually acidic substances that have a certain degree of corrosiveness to equipment materials, and suitable materials need to be selected.

In summary, the routes for synthesizing methyl methacrylate mainly include the hydrolysis reaction of acrylonitrile and the esterification reaction of acrylic acid. This route has advantages such as easy availability of raw materials and mild reaction conditions, but also requires attention to environmental pollution and equipment material selection. With the advancement of technology, more efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic routes may emerge in the future, providing better choices for the production of methyl methacrylate.