Oxidative esterification of alcohols by a single-side organically decorated Anderson-type chrome-based catalyst

Abstract

The direct esterification of alcohols with non-noble metal-based catalytic systems faces great challenges. Here, we report a new chrome-based catalyst stabilized by a single pentaerythritol decorated Anderson-type polyoxometalate, [N(C₄H₉)₄]₃[CrMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃C{(OCH₂)₃CH₂OH}], which can realize the efficient transformation from alcohols to esters by H₂O₂ oxidation in good yields and high selectivity without extra organic ligands. A variety of alcohols with different functionalities including some natural products and pharmaceutical intermediates are tolerated in this system. The chrome-based catalyst can be recycled several times and still keep the original configuration and catalytic activity. We also propose a reasonable catalytic mechanism and prove the potential for industrial applications.