Barton decarboxylation

The Barton decarboxylation is a radical reaction in which a carboxylic acid is converted to a thiohydroxamate ester (commonly referred to as a Barton ester). The product is then heated in the presence of a radical initiator and a suitable hydrogen donor to afford the decarboxylated product. This is an example of a reductive decarboxylation. Using this reaction it is possible to remove carboxylic acid moieties from alkyl groups and replace them with other functional groups. (See Scheme 1) This reaction is named after its developer, the British chemist and Nobel laureate Sir Derek Barton (1918–1998).