Green Synthesis of Ethyl Cinnamate through Ultrasonication Method And Its Evaluation as Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

Cinnamic acid and its derivatives play an essential role in the production of various important
compounds and serve as precursors for creating cinnamic esters. These compounds exhibit antioxidant
activity. Among the derivatives of cinnamic acid is ethyl cinnamate. Ethyl cinnamate is produced
through an esterification reaction between cinnamic acid and ethanol, utilizing a natural zeolite
hierarchical-mesoporous system as a catalyst. The ultrasonication method is a technique developed for
this synthesis process, as it is straightforward, efficient, yields high percentages, requires a short time,
and is environmentally friendly. Following the synthesis results, the identification of the compound
was conducted using melting point analysis, FTIR spectrophotometry, and GCMS. The analysis data
from FTIR and GCMS indicate that the synthesized compound is ethyl cinnamate. The highest percent
yield achieved was 36,36%, obtained after 2 h of sonication. The antioxidant activity, represented by
the EC50 value of the synthesized ethyl cinnamate compound, was found to be 95,74, categorizing it
in the strong range.

Keywords: Antioxidant; EC50; Ethyl Cinnamate; Ultrasonication; Zeolite.