Selective Actinide-Catalyzed Tandem Proton-Transfer Esterification of Aldehydes with Alcohols for the Production of Asymmetric Esters

Actinide-catalyzed tandem proton-transfer esterification between aldehydes and alcohols is presented herein for the first time. It represents a novel convenient and external-oxidant-free methodology in the preparation of asymmetric ester compounds. Various kinds of aldehydes and alcohols can be applied to this reaction, affording the corresponding ester product in moderate to high yields. A plausible mechanism was proposed on the basis of the kinetic, stoichiometric, and deuterium-labeling studies.