A visible light-induced oxidative esterification reaction of mandelic acid with alcohols has been developed for the synthesis of α-ketoesters. The reaction is characterised by transition metal-free nature, good yields, broad functional group tolerance, and ease of operation. A practical, neutral and mild synthetic approach is provided for α-ketoesters, which are important units of many bioactive compounds and useful precursors in a wide range of drugs. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that this reaction takes place via the free radical pathway.
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