Reaction of carboxylic acids with vinyl ethers under solvent-free conditions using molecular iodine as a catalyst.

The reaction of vinyl ethers with carboxylic acids using iodine as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions was investigated. The reaction of saturated carboxylic acids with vinyl ethers gave the corresponding esters. Mechanistic studies revealed the production of the adduct of the vinyl ether with the carboxylic acid, which then rearranged to form the ester. At low temperatures, the reaction of 2-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)acetic acid (1) and butyl vinyl ether yielded a butyl ester. However, at a reaction temperature of 80°C, both the esterification and the elimination of a water molecule occurred, yielding the unsaturated butyl ester butyl 2-cyclohexenylacetate. The reaction of 2-((1S,2S,4R)-2-hydroxy-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)acetic acid (12) with butyl vinyl ether at low temperatures resulted in a mixture of four compounds. However, similar to the high-temperature (>60°C) reaction of 1, the esterification was accompanied by the elimination of a water molecule to give the unsaturated butyl ester (E)-butyl 2-((1S,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene)acetate. While a γ-hydrogen was abstracted to form the endo-type double bond in the reaction of 1, an α-hydrogen was abstracted to form the exo-type double bond in the reaction of 12.