Large scale microwave-accelerated esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate

An environmentally friendly process for the esterification of carboxylic acids with dimethyl carbonate can be accelerated by employing a combined strategy: using 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as the catalyst (chemical means) and microwave as the energy source (physical means). This approach provides synthetic advantages, niches, and upscalability.