A Straightforward Conversion of Activated Amides and Haloalkanes into Esters under Transition-Metal-Free Cs2 CO3 /DMAP Conditions.

The esterification of activated amides, N -acylsaccharins, under transition-metal-free conditions with good functional group tolerance has been developed, resulting in C–N cleavage leading to efficient synthesis of a variety of esters in moderate to good yields. This work demonstrates that esterification may proceed by using simple N -acylsaccharins, haloalkanes, and Cs2 CO3 as oxygen source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]