Carboxylic acids

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the increasing number of protocols and procedures, reported in the literature since 1995, that have been utilized or developed for the synthesis of carboxylic acids. It addresses not only the large number of additional general methods, for example, the hydrolysis of esters, nitriles, di- and trihalides as well as the carbonation of organometallic species and oxidation protocols, but also novel methods for the synthesis of alkanoic acids, haloalkanoic acids, oxygen-, and sulfur-substituted carboxylic acids. The synthesis of racemic and chiral nonracemic amino acids and nitrogen-substituted alkanoic acids via hydrolysis and carbonylation of organometallic species have been reviewed. Important new developments toward the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated and homo- and heteroaromatic acids are also included. Since the publication of COFGT (1995) immense developments utilizing whole-cell or purified enzymes for synthetic transformations have occurred, and, therefore, a significant number of examples pertinent to the use of enzymes for the synthesis of carboxylic acids are included.