Photo-assisted Fixation of CO₂ onto Aryl Bromides Producing Aromatic Esters

Abstract

A photo-assisted three-step procedure to fix carbon dioxide (CO2) onto aryl bromides is reported. In the first photoinduced step, CO2 is temporarily fixed onto benzophenone to furnish benzilic acid, which is in the second step methylated with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane. Finally, the obtained methyl ester is subjected to a palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction with aryl bromides. A methoxycarbonyl group is delivered onto an aryl group through a sequence of cleavage/formation of C–C bonds to produce aromatic carboxylic esters.