Chemistry Letters, Vol.32, No.4, 366-367, 2003
Zinc tetrafluoroborate-catalyzed efficient conversion of aldehydes to geminal diacetates and cyanoacetates
A trace of an aqueous solution of zinc tetrafluoroborate was demonstrated to catalyze the conversion of an aldehyde to its 1, 1 diacetate by acetic anhydride without any solvent. A similar reaction of an aldehyde with a mixture of potassium cyanide and acetic anhydride in methylene chloride was also catalyzed by Zn(BF4)(2) to provide the corresponding geminal cyanoacetate.