A new approach for facile synthesis of phytosteryl phenolates

In this study, a one-step method for producing phytosteryl phenolates, namely phytosteryl cinnamate and ferulate, has been successfully developed and their chemical structures were confirmed by FT-IR, MS and NMR. The highest yield of phytosteryl ferulate (85.7%) was obtained at 100 °C for 2 h after optimization. A Lewis acid catalyst scandium triflate was selected as the catalyst, and it turned out that it could be reused for at least five times without significant loss of activity. Meanwhile, it has been demonstrated that the solubility of phytosteryl phenolates in soybean oil was much higher than in both phenolic acid and phytosterol, which was conducive to expand their applications in oil-based food. The research finding helps realize convenient, green and efficient synthesis of phytosteryl phenolates.