Carbodiimide-driven anhydride formation from carboxylic acids is useful in a variety of non-equilibrium systems. While there are multiple strategies to control deactivation (anhydride hydrolysis) rates, control over activation (anhydride formation) rates is limited. We show that pyridine derivatives reversibly form adducts with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide methiodide in water. These adducts are unreactive with carboxylic acids and thus […]