Síntese, caracterização e avaliação toxicológica de ésteres derivados do ácido glicólico.

Abstract

Research, development and innovation is fundamental to exploring new ideas, technologies and methods, especially in the search for treatments using medicinal plants. Glycolic acid, an α-hydroxy acid found in various natural sources, is widely used in dermatological products. This acid can be synthesized in the laboratory through esterification reactions, a process catalyzed by different catalysts, including K-10 montmorillonite clay. At the same time, before a substance can be used, its toxicity must be assessed. In this respect, toxicological bioassays using Artemia salina have been widely used, partly due to their sensitivity and reproducibility. In view of the above, the aim of this research was to investigate the conditions for the esterification of glycolic acid, using different catalysts, and to evaluate the toxicity of glycolic acid before and after the esterification reaction against Artemia salina. The esterification reaction was carried out under reflux, at 78±2oC, with constant stirring, using ethanol as the solvent and nucleophile, and sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and montmorillonite K-10 as catalysts. The results showed that montmorillonite K-10 at 100 and 200% promoted the formation of ethyl glycolate, but in low yields (1% and 25%, respectively). Among the Brönsted acids used, phosphoric acid proved to be the most efficient, leading to ethyl glycolate in 75% yield. These results provide insights into the good conditions for the esterification of glycolic acid and the effects of different acid catalysts, which may have important applications in chemical synthesis and the production of ethyl glycolate.