Summary Aliphatic, a, p-unsaturated and aromatic aldehydes 1 as well as aliphatic ketones react with acyl halides 2 to a-haloakyl esters 3. In the presence of Lewis acids there is an equilibrium between reactants and product. The position of the equilibrium depends on the nature of the carbonyl compound as well as that of the acyl halide: The products 3 are favoured in the case of aldehydes, cyclobutanone and cyclohexanone, and the ...
