Acetylation of 1-methoxynaphthalene into 2-acetyl-6-methoxynaphthalene, which is a precursor of the anti-inflammatory S-Naproxen, was chosen as an example to show the great potentialities of zeolite catalysts for substituting polluting and corrosive Friedel-Crafts catalysts. A selective and clean process can be developed using acetic anhydride, as acylating agent, and a HBEA zeolite with a Si/Al ratio between 20 and 40 and without extraframework aluminum species, as catalyst. Adsorption experiments demonstrate that all the acetyl-methoxynaphthalene isomers can enter the BEA micro-pores hence can be formed within these pores. The strong interactions between the polar molecules of reactants and products and the micropore walls were shown to determine both the reaction scheme and the mechanisms. These interactions play a more important role than product shape selectivity in the kinetically limiting desorption of products.
