Efficient condensation of carboxylic acids with alcohols catalyzed by fluorous ammonium triflates

The use of fluorous ammonium salts as metal-free catalysts for the direct condensation of equimolar amounts of carboxylic acids and aliphatic alcohols has been investigated. Esterification reactions were thus conveniently carried out under mild fluorous biphasic conditions, in the presence of 1 mol % of fluorous ammonium triflate and without recourse to any additional water removal technique. Good to excellent ester yields were obtained in the case of primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols. The fluorous salt was easily recovered by simple phase separation and reused at least three times without considerable loss of activity.