We report a novel strategy to prepare valuable nitriles and ketones through the conversion of esters under metal-free conditions. By using the I2/PCl3 system, various substrates including aliphatic and aromatic esters could react with acetonitrile and arenes to afford the desired products in good to excellent yields. This method is compatible with a number of functional groups and provides a simple
Thiophene-based dyes bearing two ferrocenylcarbonyl groups were obtained from a short synthesis involving direct arylations of the thiophene rings. A subsequent thionation of the carbonyl groups resulted in the formation of new thiophene-based dyes bearing two ferrocenylthiocarbonyl groups. These dyes absorb in a wide range of the visible spectrum due to their π–π* and d–π* transitions, and show a
Catalytic regioselective Friedel-Crafts acylation of an array of anisoles/arenes with various acid chlorides using 5-20 mol % of magnetic nanopowder CuFe2O4 is reported. Unlike the conventional Friedel-Crafts reactions, which are catalyzed by moisture sensitive homogeneous catalysts/promoters, the nanopowder CuFe2O4 catalyst is moisture insensitive and the product/ketone-catalyst isolation is easily achieved using the magnetic properties of CuFe2O4. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.