Esters are among the highest volume of industrial organic compounds produced. They are frequently employed in various domestic and industrial processes. Fischer esterification regarded as the most common and widely practiced process of ester synthesis, faces serious limitations of low conversion and high reaction time attributed largely to establishment of equilibrium. Ester hydrolysis, reverse reaction to esterification, starts by supply of a byproduct- water. Several approaches have been developed to avoid equilibrium establishment and to improve overall conversion and rate of reaction, a significant difference exists between the current industrial practices and optimum esterification process/conditions. In the current review, a critical analysis of esterification techniques is conducted. Catalytic, non-catalytic thermal esterification, enzymatic esterification, along with factors affecting their productivity are discussed in detail. The current barriers, future challenges and potential of the esterification technologies are analyzed. Based on the comprehensive-data analysis, a novel technology-based solution is proposed.

酯类是产量最大的工业有机化合物之一。它们经常用于各种家庭和工业过程。Fischer 酯化被认为是酯合成中最常见和应用最广泛的方法，面临着转化率低和反应时间长的严重限制，这主要归因于平衡的建立。酯水解，酯化的逆反应，通过提供副产物水开始。已经开发了几种方法来避免平衡建立并提高总转化率和反应速率，当前工业实践和最佳酯化工艺/条件之间存在显着差异。在当前的审查中，对酯化技术进行了批判性分析。催化、非催化热酯化，详细讨论了酶促酯化以及影响其生产率的因素。分析了酯化技术的当前障碍、未来挑战和潜力。基于综合数据分析，提出了一种新的基于技术的解决方案。