Schematic of the Friedel-Crafts acylation. Reagents: aromatic compound, acyl halide, anhydride, Lewis acid catalyst, AlCl3. Product: aryl ketone.

The Friedel-Crafts acylation is an organic reaction used to convert an aryl compound and an acyl halide or anhydride to an aryl ketone using a Lewis acid catalyst (such as AlCl3). 1352796-65-6 Chemscene 5-Fluoro-2-iodobenzoic acid methyl ester uses The reaction begins with the Lewis acid abstracting the halide (or carboxylate) from the acyl halide (or ester) to form an electrophilic acylium cation and a tetrasubstituted aluminum anion. The aromatic compound then attacks the acylium ion via an electrophilic aromatic substitution (SEAr) to give a cationic product with loss of aromaticity. Deprotonation with the aluminum anion results in the final aryl ketone and regeneration of the Lewis acid catalyst. [1]

Mechanism

Mechanism of the Friedel-Crafts acylation.

References:

1.
Ador, E.; Crafts, J. Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges. 1877, 10, 2173–2176.