Direct conversion of ethers to esters by trichloroisocyanuric acid

DIRECT CONVERSION OF ETHERS TO ESTERS BY TRICHLOROISOCYANURIC ACID E.C. Juenge and D.A. Beal Department of Chemistry, Kansas State College Pittsburg, Kansas 66762 (Received in USA 22 July 1968; received in UK for publication 16 October 1968) The direct oxidation of ethers of formula R-CH2-O-R’ has been reported1 to give alcohols, acids and carboxylates when effected with molecular oxygen. There seems to be no general laboratory method for conversion of ethers to esters in good yield. We are unable to find any report of the use of N-halogen compounds or hypohalites for direct conversion of diethyl ether or other aliphatic ethers to esters. Benzyl ethers have been reported to undergo oxidative cleavage to yield benzaldehydes on treatment with NBS and other oxidizing agents. 2 We wish to report the production of carboxylic acid esters directly from ethers of formula R-CH2-O-R’ by the use of trichloroisocyanuric acid (1) in the presence of an excess of water.