A General Method of Esterification using Trifluoracetic Anhydride

Abstract

FOR the synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols or phenols, it is customary to heat the reactants for several hours in the presence of a strong mineral acid catalyst, or else to proceed via the acid chloride or the acid anhydride. We now report a method of esterifleation which obviates the necessity of a two-stage process and, at the same time, enables a rapid direct reaction to occur between the acid and the hydroxy-compound under mild conditions. The new method, which entails the use of the anhydride of trifluoracetic acid, gives the purified esters in yields of 60–90 per cent.