Direct Esterification of Aromatic Aldehydes with Tetraphenylphosphonium Bromide under Oxidative N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysis

Abstract

An unconventional reagent, tetraphenylphosphonium bromide, was employed as a phenyl source in the direct transformation of aromatic aldehydes to the corresponding phenyl esters under oxidative N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. The phenyl esters were obtained in moderate yields under mild and organocatalytic conditions.