Organo‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Dehydrative Coupling Reaction to Prepare Arylacetic Acid Derivatives

Abstract Herein, the use of triphenylmethylium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate as an efficient catalyst for the intermolecular dehydrative coupling of p ‐hydroxymandelic acid hydrate with substituted aromatic amines and (thio)phenols was developed, which allows for the preparation of arylacetic acid derivatives in a convenient manner. Notably, this method offers several advantages, including being prefunctionalization free, high atom efficiency, and high regioselectivity. Additionally, it exhibits a broad substrate scope, enabling the synthesis of a range of arylacetic acid derivatives. Furthermore, this method can also be applied to the etherification of arylthiol derivatives, facilitating the preparation of various thiolated products, which would enhance the applicability and potential utility of this method in organic synthesis.