PAPER	Synthesis 2004: 885-888   DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-815998
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Efficient and Mild Ytterbium(III)-Catalyzed Tosylation of Alcohols
Slobodan Comagic, Ralf Schirrmacher*
Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, University of Mainz , Fritz Strassmann-Weg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany e-Mail: schirrmacher@mail.kernchemie.uni-mainz.de;
Received 27 December 2003

Abstract

Ytterbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate efficiently catalyzes the reaction of primary and secondary alcohols with toluenesulfonic acid anhydride to yield the alkyl tosylates in high yields. The reactions were carried out under neutral and mild conditions and product purification was easily achieved by means of short column chromatography.

Key words

ytterbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate - alcohols - catalysis - tosylation - Lewis acids