Iron(iii) sulfate/H₂O-catalysed, base-free esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate: the crucial role of water as a co-catalyst.
- 1Laboratoire de Développement Chimique, Galénique et Pharmacologique des Médicaments, Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir Rue Avicenne 5000 Monastir Tunisia [email protected].
- 2Département de Chimie, Université Laval 1045 Avenue de La Médecine Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada [email protected].
Abstract
An eco-friendly, base-free protocol was developed for the esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate (DMC), which serves as both the reagent and solvent, using an iron(iii) sulfate/H₂O catalytic system. The method combines high efficiency with a broad substrate scope under mild and environmentally benign conditions. Control experiments show that anhydrous Fe₂(SO₄)₃ is inactive and that water is required for activity. A tentative mechanism is proposed, in which water acts both as a reagent and as a source of in situ Brønsted acidity, a contribution of Lewis acidity not being excluded. Furthermore, our results highlight the plausible dual role of DMC, which may serve both as a sustainable source of methanol and as a chemical desiccant, thereby potentially shifting the equilibrium towards complete conversion. Overall, this protocol provides a green and cost-effective alternative to conventional Fischer esterification.
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BibTeX
@article{abdallah2026ironiii,
title = {{Iron(iii) sulfate/H₂O-catalysed, base-free esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate: the crucial role of water as a co-catalyst.}},
author = {Yosra Ben Abdallah and Zaineb Litim and Donia Ghedira and Thierry Ollevier and Jamil Kraïem},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra08238f},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898898},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Iron(iii) sulfate/H₂O-catalysed, base-free esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate: the crucial role of water as a co-catalyst.
AU - Yosra Ben Abdallah
AU - Zaineb Litim
AU - Donia Ghedira
AU - Thierry Ollevier
AU - Jamil Kraïem
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra08238f
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898898
AB - An eco-friendly, base-free protocol was developed for the esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate (DMC), which serves as both the reagent and solvent, using an iron(iii) sulfate/H₂O catalytic system. The method combines high efficiency with a broad substrate scope under mild and environmentally benign conditions. Control experiments show that anhydrous Fe₂(SO₄)₃ is inactive and that water is required for activity. A tentative mechanism is proposed, in which water acts both as a reagent and as a source of in situ Brønsted acidity, a contribution of Lewis acidity not being excluded. Furthermore, our results highlight the plausible dual role of DMC, which may serve both as a sustainable source of methanol and as a chemical desiccant, thereby potentially shifting the equilibrium towards complete conversion. Overall, this protocol provides a green and cost-effective alternative to conventional Fischer esterification.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -