Indium-Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts Acylation Using Esters as Acylating Reagents

Significance Herein, the authors describe the use of aryl- and alkylcarboxylic acid esters as acylating reagents in Friedel-Crafts reactions catalyzed by indium tribromide and using dimethylchlorosilane as saponifying reagent. The synthetic usefulness of this approach is demonstrated in the short synthesis of a salviasperanol intermediate.