Reducing the risk of chronic diseases and age-related ailments is directly linked to an individual's healthy diet. A diet with an adequate amount of nuts, berries, grapes, dried fruits, or pomegranates decreases this risk due to the presence of polyphenolic molecules that act as antioxidants in the body. One such molecule is ellagic acid (EA), which is obtained either through extraction from natural sources or direct synthesis from gallic acid or its derivatives.
In the extent of my master's thesis, I sought an improved process for the direct synthesis of EA from ethyl gallate (EtG). Depending on the reaction medium, I tested three different types of solvents—ionic liquids (IL), hydroxides, and deep eutectic solvents (DES) in combination with hydroxides.
In the tests performed with ionic liquids, I varied parameters such as the amount of reactant, reaction time, reaction temperature, amount of water, and precipitation time. Hydroxide tests focused on varying the reaction time and the weight percentage of hydroxide, while in hydroxide mixtures with DES, I examined the impact of the weight percentage of DES in hydroxide and the total amount of solvent on the yield of EA.
Among all solvents, the used IL, DIMCARB, proved inconsistent, while reactions with DES3, DES4, and DES5 were entirely unsuccessful in forming EA. With hydroxides (NH4OH, NaOH, KOH), I achieved better results with yields of 49, 19, and 15%. The best results were obtained with 10 wt% DES1 and DES2 in a 1 wt% NH4OH solution, where the yield of EA was 77% and 75%.
The results confirm that a pH between 11–12 is crucial for the direct synthesis of EA. Acidic solvents and solvents, whos basicity surpasses this range, are unsuitable. The success of the synthesis is also greatly impacted by the solubility of EtG in the solvent and the ratio between the amount of reactant and the solvent. Further research could focus on optimizing these parameters in the DES process. Additionally, this includes finding more effective solvent combinations, establishing a continuous process, and developing a process for recycling the solvent after the reaction.
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