A cheap, simple, and versatile method for acetylation of alcohols and phenols and selective deprotection of aromatic acetates under solvent-free condition

Acyclic and cyclic acetates of various alcohols and phenols were obtained inexcellent yields under mild reaction conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of sodium hydroxide under solvent-free conditions and microwave irradiation. Selective deprotection of acetate group from the corresponding phenolic compounds was carried out in the presence of LiClO4.2H(2)O.