Highly sulfonated chitosan-polyethersulfone mixed matrix membrane as an effective catalytic reactor for esterification of acetic acid

A new mixed matrix membrane (MMM) incorporating sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) and sulfonated crosslinked chitosan (SCCS) as a superior hydrophilic filler was synthesized and applied as a catalytic pervaporation membrane reactor (PMR) for the esterification of acetic acid with ethanol. The optimal conditions for esterification over SPES-SCCS were preliminarily studied using a batch reactor (BR). The synthesis of ethyl acetate was studied in the PMR based on experimental findings of BR esterification. The pervaporative separation of water in the PMR gave it better catalytic performance than the BR. More importantly, the newly developed PMR is permselective towards the ethyl acetate product.