One-step coupling of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane to aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids

A convenient and general method was established to append tri-, hexa-, and nonadentate ligands about an aromatic or aliphatic core. This approach allows a variety of commercially available carboxylic acids to be transformed to their N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methylcarboxamides in one step. The selective activation of the acid functionality to form the polyhydroxylated dendritic cores has been achieved using the acyl transfer agent N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ).