Design, Synthesis, and Applications of a Vanadium Complex: An Effective Catalyst for the Direct Conversion of Alcohols and Aldehydes to Esters

A novel bench-stable V-catalyst [(L2)­VIVO]­(ClO4) was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and FT-IR, UV–visible, and EPR spectroscopies, which confirmed its excellent catalytic activity. In application, aldehydes are rapidly converted into their corresponding esters without additives in a one-pot manner using a newly developed catalyst [(L2)­VIVO]­(ClO4) and H2O2 as a green oxidant. The developed method is compatible with a broad range of densely substituted aldehydes and allows for the facile preparation of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic esters, including esters derived from CD3OD, methanol, ethanol, iso-propanol, n-butanol, sec-butyl alcohol, and propargylic alcohol. Gratifyingly, numerous alcohols also directly converted to their corresponding esters in a one-pot manner. We disclose herein the direct conversion of two different functionalities (alcohols and aldehydes) into esters (33 examples) with satisfactory yields, showing the potential of the developed catalyst toward varied oxidative organic transformations in a one-pot manner.