查看文章

Zinc aluminate (ZnAl₂O₄) nanoparticles with an average particle size of about 8nm were easily prepared by the co-precipitation method using aqueous ammonia solution as the precipitating agent. This nanosized spinel-type oxide was characterized by TGA, XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and surface area measurement and used as the heterogeneous catalyst for the acetylation reaction. Efficient acetylation of various amines, alcohols and phenols was carried out over ZnAl₂O₄ nanoparticles using acetic anhydride and/or acetyl chloride as the acetylating agents at room temperature without the use of a solvent. The method is highly selective, allowing the alcoholic hydroxyl group to be protected while the phenolic hydroxyl group remains intact, and the amine group can be acetylated in the presence of the hydroxyl group. This method is fast and has a high yield. It is also clean, safe, cost effective, compatible with substrates that …