Pronounced rate enhancements in condensation reactions attributed to the fluorous tag in modified Mukaiyama reagents

The observed rate enhancement for the condensation reaction between 2-phenyl benzoic acid and isopropanol mediated by fluorous Mukaiyama reagents is described. It is shown that Mukaiyama reagents bearing a fluorous tag increase the reaction rate considerably when compared to their non-fluorous tagged counterpart. Furthermore, it is observed that the longer the fluorous chain, the higher the activity of the Mukaiyama reagent.