Friedel-Crafts reactions catalyzed by samarium diiodide

Samarium diiodide is an efficient precatalyst for the Friedel-Crafts reaction involving various aromatic substrates and chelating electrophiles. Alkyl 3,3,3-trifluoropyruvates are transformed into α-hydroxyesters in good yields with total regioselectivity. In reactions involving an ethyl glyoxylate or a glyoxylic imine, α-hydroxyesters or α-aminoesters are obtained with variable amounts of products resulting from a double Friedel-Crafts reaction.