Chlorotrimethylsilane: a suitable reagent for the synthesis of chlorohydrin esters

J Org Chem. 2002 Nov 29;67(24):8631-4. doi: 10.1021/jo026020w.

Abstract

A new methodology for obtaining chlorohydrin esters using a one-pot esterification-chlorination reaction, in which one of the reagents, chlorotrimethylsilane, acts as solvent, is described. The reaction is stereospecific and its regioselectivity depends on the number of carbons between the hydroxyl groups present in the starting material. A mechanism is proposed.