A Facile, Catalytic and Environmentally Benign Method for Esterification of Carboxylic Acids and Transesterification of Carboxylic Esters with Nearly Equimolar Amounts of Alcohols
A practical and green chemical process for the esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols and transesterification of carboxylic esters in good to excellent yields by using K5CoW12O14·3H2O (0.1 mol%) as catalyst is reported. The catalyst exhibited remarkable reusable activity.
α-Substituted esters were efficiently and easily transesterificated at room temperature in the presence of potassium carbonate. α-Halo esters can be transesterificated without substitution of the halogen atom.