Brønsted Acid-Catalysed Dehydrative Substitution Reactions of Alcohols

Abstract

The direct, catalytic dehydrative substitution of alcohols is a challenging, yet highly desirable process in the development of more sustainable approaches to organic chemistry. This review outlines recent advances in Brønsted acid-catalysed dehydrative substitution reactions for C−C, C−O, C−N and C−S bond formation. The wide range of processes that are now accessible using simple alcohols as the formal electrophile are highlighted, while current limitations and therefore possible future directions for research are also discussed.