A rapid mild esterification method

Abstract

The well known method for the formation of carboxylate esters by the reactions of alkyl halides with metal salts of Carboxylates (where M includes Ag, pb, and alkali metals) is not a generally useful synthetic method¹. Several improvements have increased the utility of this method^2–5.Chief among them is the use of ammonium salts rather than metal salts. Moreover, amines and quaternary ammonium salts in catalytic amouts also increase the rate of the reactions, i.e., at room temparature or below except when highly active alkyl halides are employed.