20.5.13.2 Arenecarboxylic Acid Esters (Update 2024)

Abstract Arenecarboxylic acid esters are prevalent motifs in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, polymers, and natural products. They are also versatile building blocks in organic synthesis. Traditionally, esters are prepared via activation of acids or acid anhydrides, followed by nucleophilic substitution. However, these methods usually require harsh reaction conditions and two steps. Over the past couple of decades, alternative synthetic approaches have been developed, including Chan—Lam-type reactions, oxidative esterification, carbonylation, and addition of carboxylic acids to unsaturated carbon—carbon bonds. This review highlights recent developments of these transformations with some selected works reported between 2002 and 2022, and serves as an update to the previous (2007) Science of Synthesis chapter on the preparation of arenecarboxylic acid esters (Section 20.5.13).