Site-selective acylation of α-hydroxyl groups in amides has been achieved in the presence of other primary hydroxyl groups with intrinsic high reactivity. In this methodology, a relatively stable pyridine aldoxime ester was exploited as an acyl donor to suppress undesired acylation. The catalytic activation of a pyridine aldoxime ester with a Lewis acid produced a cationic complex, which preferentially
Let's get fluorophilic! Tagging the imidazolium ionic liquids catalytically active in redox esterification with large fluorous substituents enables their facile recovery from reaction mixtures and multiple reuse without loss of activity. It also enables their application as catalysts in fluorous biphase catalysis and supercritical CO2.