Bromo ketene dithioacetals (5) were prepared in high yields by reaction of α,α-diacetyl ketene dithioacetals (4) with bromine catalyzed by FeBr 3 at room temperature. This new reaction is proposed involving an ipso electrophilic addition-deacetylation mechanism.
α-Oxoketene dithioacetals（ compound 1 ） are versatile synthons for organic synthesis due to their specially structural characteristic, that is, the masked ketene is conjugated with the convertible carbonyl in their molecules. Although there have been numerous reports covering the reactions in which they have been taken as 1,3-electrophiles, the reaction at the α-carbon atom of α-oxoketene dithioacetals has seldom been investigated. Junjappa and co-workers found the α- bromination of compound 2 in the presence of NBS led to α-aroyl-α-bromo ketenedithioacetals. However, the flexibility of the functional groups at the α-carbon atom of compound 2 are still limited.
