Effective Synthesis of 1β-Acyl Glucuronides by Selective Acylation

Acyl glucuronides are vital metabolites for many carboxylic acid containing drugs. We report an efficient new method for the chemical synthesis of these molecules by selective 1β-acylation of allyl glucuronate with carboxylic acids catalyzed by HATU and then mild deprotection through treatment with Pd(PPh₃)₄ and morpholine. The method is effective for a range of aryl and alkyl carboxylic acids, including important drugs.