A sustainable procedure toward alkyl arylacetates: palladium-catalysed direct carbonylation of benzyl alcohols in organic carbonates

Abstract

A sustainable procedure for the synthesis of various alkyl arylacetates from benzyl alcohols has been developed. With palladium as the catalyst and organic carbonates as the green solvent and in situ activator, benzyl alcohols were carbonylated in an efficient manner without any halogen additives.