The carbonylative transformation of alkyl chlorides,
a class of
cheap chemical feedstock, is among the most challenging tasks in the
field of carbonylation due to the difficulty of C(sp3)–Cl
bond activation. Herein, we report the catalytic alkoxycarbonylation
of unactivated alkyl chlorides. This method employs a pincer manganese
catalyst to overcome the intrinsic limitations of C(sp3)–Cl bond activation and allows access to various esters in
a straightforward manner. Mechanistic studies indicate that the alkyl
chlorides were activated directly via an oxidative addition reaction.