Phenyl esters, preferred reagents for mono-acylation of polyamines in the presence of water

In the presence of water, several diamines and one triamine were mono-acylated at ambient to moderate temperatures using phenyl esters and a phenyl carbonate as acylation agents in good to excellent isolated yields. Both linear and cyclic polyamines were suitable substrates, and the acylating agents can be aryl and alkyl carboxylic acid esters.