Abstract
In 1967 an interesting esterification of carboxylic and phosphoric acids with alcohols in the presence of triphenyl-phosphine and diethylazodicarboxylate was reported by Mitsunobu, Yamada, and Mukaiyama.1,2 One intriguing aspect of this “Mitsunobu” reaction (Reaction 1) was that it proceeded with inversion of configuration of the alcohol.2,3 A second remarkable facet of this dehydrative redox coupling reaction was the general adaptability to a wide variety of substitution reactions on alcohols. Examples of such intermolecular substitutions include