The title reaction—so convincing on paper—succeeds only in the presence of the right catalysts. Combinations of a weak Lewis acid and a Lewis base, e.g. diisobutylaluminum hydride/triphenylphosphane, accelerate formation of carbonate from carbamic esters and alcohols to such an extent that the competing elimination of isocyanic acid is suppressed. equation image
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Ball et al. (1980) studied this question.
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