I Ich $ &- II I 2 a la OAc is inevitably required to facilitate the reaction. Consequently, finding a nonmercuric method of providing either 1, 2-diketones or synthetic equivalents is a desirable goal in current organic synthesis. Our attention was focused on halogenative hydroxylation processes involving acetylenic bonds, because a, a-dihalo ketones or their analogues are synthons of 1, Zdiketones which are versatile, highly functionalized intermediate^.^ To this ...