Novel reductive Friedel-Crafts alkylation of aromatics catalyzed by indium compounds: Chemoselective utilization of carbonyl moieties as alkylating reagents

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)01130-2

Reductive Friedel-Crafts alkylation of aromatics with ketones or aldehydes was characteristically catalyzed by indium compounds in preference to general catalysts like AlCl₃ and BF₃, where hydrosilanes would play an important role both as a hydride donor and as a co-catalyst. Chemoselective utilization of ketone moieties as alkylating reagents took place even in the presence of halogen, ester or ether moieties which are very susceptible under traditional Friedel-Crafts conditions. Discussion on a plausible intermediate was carried out by some controlled experiments.