Nickel-Catalyzed Transesterification of Methyl Esters

A transesterification of methyl esters with aliphatic alcohols was developed using Ni/dcype catalysis. This reaction features the cleavage of the strong C(acyl)-OMe bond in the absence of acidic or basic additives, providing volatile methanol as the only stoichiometric waste product. A wide range of (hetero)aromatic and aliphatic methyl esters can be converted into the corresponding functionalized esters in good to excellent yields with high efficiency. Compared with traditional transesterifications, this cross-coupling approach offers new opportunities for efficient and chemoselective synthesis.

Automated summary

This study developed a transesterification method using Ni/dcype catalyst for the conversion of methyl esters with aliphatic alcohols. The reaction cleaves the strong C(acyl)-OMe bond in the absence of acidic or basic additives, generating only volatile methanol as the waste product. A wide range of (hetero)aromatic and aliphatic methyl esters can be efficiently converted into functionalized esters. Compared to traditional transesterifications, this cross-coupling approach offers new opportunities for efficient and chemoselective synthesis.