Abstract Methyl formate (MF) has been detected in several interstellar environments, but whether or not the formation of this molecule takes place in the gas phase or on the ices of interstellar grains is still unclear. In this study, we explore the synthesis of methyl formate through the nucleophilic acyl substitution (S\(_{\text {N}}\)Acyl) reaction between methanol (CH\(_{3}\)OH) and formic acid (HCOOH) on amorphous solid water, which is the main component of interstellar ice mantles.