Adding a keto group to an aromatic or aliphatic substrate using an acyl halide or anhydride in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst is called the Friedel-Crafts acylation. The reactive electrophile in this aromatic substitution is either an acylium ion or an acyl chloride-Lewis acid complex. [1] Benzene and slightly deactivated derivatives tend to go through the acylium ion. [2] The aryl ketone can be converted to an alkyl chain via catalytic hydrogenation or the Clemmensen or Wolff-Kishner reduction.
- Reagents: Lewis Acid (AlX3, FeCl3, Lanthanide Triflates, etc.) or Protic Acid (H2SO4, H3PO4)
- Reactant: Aromatic, Acyl Halide or Anhydride
- Product: Aryl Ketone
- Type of Reaction: Electrophilic Substitution
Mechanism
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Related Reactions
- Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
- Clemmensen Reduction
- Wolff-Kishner Reduction
- Friedel-Crafts-Alkylation