Acetonyltriphenylphosphonium Bromide (ATPB): A Versatile Reagent for the Acylation of Alcohols, Phenols, Thiols and Amines and for 1,1‐Diacylation of Aldehydes under Solvent‐Free Conditions

Abstract A wide variety of alcohols, phenols, amines and thiols may easily be converted into the corresponding acetate derivatives by treatment with acetic anhydride (1.5–2.0 equivalents) in the presence of acetonyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (ATPB; 5 mol %) in good yields at room temperature. With the same precatalyst, both aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes can also be transformed into the corresponding gem ‐diacetates under reflux conditions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)