Vanadium-catalyzed chlorination under molecular oxygen

• A vanadium catalyzed chlorination was achieved under molecular oxygen.
• This catalytic system could be applied to the chlorination of ketones and alkenes.
• AlCl3 was found to serve as both a Lewis acid and a chloride source to induce the facile chlorination.

A catalytic chlorination of ketones was performed by using a vanadium catalyst in the presence of Bu4NI and AlCl3 under atmospheric molecular oxygen. This catalytic chlorination could be applied to the chlorination of alkenes to give the corresponding vic-dichlorides. AlCl3 was found to serve as both a Lewis acid and a chloride source to induce the facile chlorination. A combination of Bu4NI and AlI3 in the presence of a vanadium catalyst under atmospheric molecular oxygen induced the iodination of ketones.

The chlorination reaction of ketones and alkenes without the use of a strong oxidant was performed by using a commercially available inexpensive ligand-free vanadium catalyst in the presence of Bu4NI and AlCl3 with molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide