Reformatsky Reagent Promoted Acetylation of Primary and Secondary Aliphatic Alcohols Using Ethyl Acetate as an Acetyl Donor

The reaction system of a Reformatsky reagent as a promoter and EtOAc as a solvent and acetyl donor was found to achieve efficient acetylation of a variety of primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols under mild conditions. The reaction can be carried out by a simple one-pot operation and does not require heating. The reaction shows a high tolerance for various functional groups and chemoselectivity, such that the phenolic hydroxyl groups do not react. Furthermore, the reaction can be used for gram-scale acetylation.