A Novel 2-Methylimidazole Promoted Oxyacyloxylation of α-Hydroxy Ketones and Anhydrides: An Easy Access to α-Acyloxy Ketones

An efficient and operationally simple method for the synthesis of alpha-acyloxy ketones through the readily available 2-methylimidazole-promoted reaction of alpha-hydroxy ketones and anhydrides is developed. In the reaction, the anhydrides act as both a substrate and a solvent. The new method features good substrate tolerance, mild reaction conditions, readily accessible starting materials, and excellent yields, providing facile and green access to the targets. Importantly, the reaction also avoids the use of reagents with pungent odors, such as pyridine, in traditional esterification, which may promote the development of organocatalysis using nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds as catalysts.