Direct Esterification of Carboxylic Acids with Alcohols Catalyzed by Iron(III) Acetylacetonate Complex

作者：Weng Shiue Shien^*; Chen Fong Kuang; Ke Chih Shueh

来源：Synthetic Communications, 2013, 43(19): 2615-2621.

DOI：10.1080/00397911.2012.725265

• Esterification
• iron(III) -diketonate species
• recoverable catalyst

Direct condensation of carboxylic acids and alcohols with electronic, steric, and functional group variations was carried out using the environmentally benign, moisture-stable, inexpensive, and recoverable iron(III) acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)(3)] as catalyst (5mol%). This iron salt efficiently catalyzed the esterification of several primary and secondary alcohols in refluxing xylene, without the need for a dehydration reagent. The chemoselectivity of the proposed protocol was demonstrated by the selective esterification of primary alcohol functionality in racemic 1-phenylethane-1,2-diol with benzoic acid. The esterification was also applicable to unmasked -hydroxyacid, guasiaromatic, heterocyclic, and N-protected amino acids. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications (R) to view the free supplemental file.

• 出版日期2013-10-2