β-Cyclodextrin-TEBA: A New Catalyst System For Selective Synthesis of α-Hydroxyacids

Abstract
The presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and triethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (TEBA) favors the one-pot reaction of aromatic aldehydes, chloroform and sodium hydroxide to give α-hydroxyarylacetic acids in 81% ∼ 89% yields.