Reformatsky reactions of a phenyl ketone, an α-bromoester, zinc dust, and a catalytic amount of iodine in dioxane under high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) irradiation from an ultrasonic probe give high yields of β-hydroxyesters in short reaction times. A series of alkyl phenyl ketones with increasing steric demands of the alkyl group are evaluated as potential electrophiles for the reactions with several α-bromoesters, also having increasing steric ...
