Palladium-Catalyzed, Copper(I)-Promoted Methoxycarbonylation of Arylboronic Acids with O-Methyl S-Aryl Thiocarbonates.

Here, we report O-methyl S-aryl thiocarbonates as a versatile esterification reagent for palladium-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation of arylboronic acid in the presence of copper(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC). The reaction condition is mild, and a variety of substituents including sensitive -Cl, -Br, and free -NH2 could be tolerated. Further applications in the late-stage esterification of some pharmaceutical drugs demonstrate the broad utility of this method.