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Updated: Jun 1, 2025

Synthesis of Esters Via a Greener Steglich Esterification in Acetonitrile
Published on: October 30, 2018
Photoacid-Catalyzed Esterification of Carboxylic Acids Using Eosin Y
Jaya Tripathi1, Harshita Gupta1, Anuj Sharma1
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India.
Abstract:
A photoacid-catalyzed method for esterification is proposed wherein eosin Y is introduced as a photoacid and photoredox catalyst that can be activated with visible light and catalyze the esterification of carboxylic acids. The strategy presented here revealed that proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) between eosin Y and carboxylic acid might facilitate the formation of a transient ketyl radical. This ketyl radical would subsequently undergo a single electron transfer and then couple with alkyl alcohols, yielding carboxylic esters in good to excellent yields.
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