P2O5-mediated Friedel-Crafts acylation of activated arenes with carboxylic acid as acylating agent

Abstract

P₂O₅ has been found to be a highly efficient and environmental friendly catalyst for the liquid-phase acylation of activated aromatic substrates giving aromatic ketones (45-93%) in a regioselective manner. Both aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids can be employed as acylating source. The process is particularly demonstrated at 100 g scale in the case of anisole and acetic acid to produce 4-methoxyacetophenone.