4-Dimethylaminopyridine

4-(Dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) is a toxic, corrosive solid that is widely used as a nucleophilic catalyst in esterification, hydrosilylation, Bayliss–Hillman reactions, and many more. In 2001, G. C. Fu and co-workers showed that chiral derivatives of DMAP can be used for stereoselective catalysis. More recently,?D. Seidel and co-workers used DMAP and other inexpensive reagents in acylation reactions?to give products that can be enantiomerically resolved. DMAP is also a nucleophilic catalyst and can be used in a variety of different reactions.DMAP is used as a very efficient acyl transfer agent. Studies have shown that esterification of hindered alcohols via anhydrides can be increased by a factor of 10,000 using 4-aminopyridines such as DMAP.