FeCl3·6H2O-Catalyzed Tandem Alkylation–Hydrolysis Reaction of Chain α-Oxo Ketene Dithioacetals with Alcohols: Efficient ­Synthesis of α-Alkylated β-Oxo Thioesters

Abstract

A novel FeCl3·6H2O-catalyzed tandem Friedel–Crafts alkylation–hydrolysis reaction between chain α-oxo ketene dithioacetals and alcohols to afford α-alkylated β-oxo thioesters has been successfully developed. The reaction is efficient in the presence of catalyst loading as low as 30 mol% in MeCN at room temperature, and a wide variety of α-alkylated β-oxo thioesters are efficiently synthesized in good yields.