Environmentally Friendly Esterification of Carboxylic Acids with Triethyl Orthoacetate in Ionic Liquid

An operationally simple, inexpensive, efficient, and ­environmentally friendly esterification of carboxylic acids with triethyl orthoacetate under neutral conditions in a typical room ­temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, was carried out to provide the corresponding ethyl esters in high yields.