Octet

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Friedel-Crafts Acylation

Friedel-Crafts Acylation (Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Aromatic.) Converts c1ccccc1 to c1ccccc1C(=O)C using CH₃COCl, AlCl₃.

Aromatic

Reaction details

Name

Friedel-Crafts Acylation

Type

Aromatic

Subtype

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Starting Material

c1ccccc1

Product

c1ccccc1C(=O)C

Reagents
  • CH₃COCl

  • AlCl₃

Mechanism
  1. Smiles

    c1ccccc1

    Description

    Benzene

  2. Smiles

    c1ccccc1

    Description

    AlCl₃ + RCOCl → RCO⁺ (acylium ion)

  3. Smiles

    c1ccccc1C(=O)C

    Description

    Acetophenone

Tips
  1. Acylium ion resonance-stabilized → NO rearrangement

  2. Product is deactivated → only monosubstitution

  3. Better control than alkylation

  4. Clemmensen/Wolff-Kishner removes C=O if needed

Related Reactions
  • friedel-crafts-alkylation

  • clemmensen-reduction

This is one row of the Reaction roadmap sheet - print all 83 reactions on one page.