We report a one-pot, expedient protocol for the conversion of carboxylic acids to their esters using excess triphenylphosphine dibromide, base, and the alcohol. The reaction gave the esterified product in moderate-to-high yields (30–95%). For chiral acids, the reaction proceeded with little or no racemization. Use of a chiral alcohol in this transformation gave the ester with retention of configuration of the stereogenic center. Information is presented ...
