Friedel-Crafts reactions trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride

A number of variations of the Friedel-Crafts reaction conditions are possible. Acid anhydrides can serve as the acylating agent in place of acid chlorides. Also, the carboxylic acid can be used directly, particularly in combination with strong acids. For example, mixtures of carboxylic acids with polyphosphoric acid, in which a mixed anhydride is presumably formed in situ, are reactive acylating agents. Similarly, carboxylic acids dissolved in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid can carry out Friedel-Crafts acylation. The reactive electrophile under these conditions is believed to be the protonated mixed anhydride. In these procedures, the leaving group... 

Friedel-Crafts Reactions. Aluminum trifluoromethanesulfonate has been used for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of toluene with isopropyl and tert-butyl chlorides (eq 1), and for the acylation of benzene and toluene with acetyl and benzoyl chlorides in low to moderate yields. Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation of an aromatic compound with Meldrum s acid has also been reported using catalytic amounts of Al(OTf)3. Acylation of 2-methoxynaphthalene with acetic anhydride has been reported using Al(OTf)3 and lithium perchlorate as an additive to afford the corresponding 6-acetylated adduct in 83% yield. Effective acylation of arenes with carboxylic acids has also been disclosed using polystyrene-supported Al(OTf)3. ... 

Diaryl sulfones can be formed by treatment of aromatic compounds with aryl sulfonyl chlorides and a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. This reaction is analogous to Friedel-Crafts acylation with carboxylic acid halides (11-14). In a better procedure, the aromatic compound is treated with an aryl sulfonic acid and P2O5 in polypho-sphoric acid. Still another method uses an arylsulfonic trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (ArS020S02CF3) (generated in situ from ArS02Br and CF3S03Ag) without a catalyst. ... 

The most important method for the preparation of aryl ketones is known as Friedel-Crafts acylation. The reaction is of wide scope. Reagents other than acyl halides can be used," including carboxylic acids," anhydrides, and ketenes. Oxalyl chloride has been used to give diaryl 1,2-diketones." Carboxylic esters usually give alkylation as the predominant product (see 11-11)." A-Carbamoyl p-lactams reacted with naphthalene in the presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid to give the keto-amide." ... 

Izumi, J. and Mukaiyama, T. 1996. The catalytic Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction of aromatic compounds with carboxylic anhydrides using combined catalysts system of titanium(IV) chloride tris(trifluoromethanesulfonate) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. Chem. Lett. 739-740. 

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