Copper-mediated simple and direct aerobic oxidative esterification of arylacetonitriles with alcohols/phenols

A simple and direct aerobic oxidative esterification reaction of arylacetonitriles with alcohols/phenols is achieved in the presence of a copper salt and molecular oxygen, which produces a broad range of aryl carboxylic acid esters in good to high yields. Copper salt plays multiple roles in the transformation, which allows the oxygenation of C  H bond, cleavage of inert C  C bond, and formation of C  O bond in one pot without the assistance of any of the acids, bases, ligands, and so on. The reaction provides a simple, direct, and efficient protocol towards functionalized esters, especially aryl benzoates, from readily available starting materials.