A Mild and Efficient Chemoselective Protection of Primary Alcohols as Pivaloyl Esters Using La(NO3)3·6H2O as a Catalyst under Solvent-free Conditions

Abstract Primary alcohols are selectively and efficiently protected as their pivaloyl esters with pivaloyl chloride in the presence of catalytic amounts of La(NO3)3·6H2O at room temperature under solvent-free conditions in excellent yields.