The development of prodrugs with an ester bond is classical tool to enhance the bioavailability of pharmaceutical compounds including readily ionizable molecules, such as acids or phenols. In this work, we studied the introduction of a dichloroacetic acid fragment into a molecule as an approach to anticancer prodrug development. The metabolically released dichloroacetate will have an additional useful effect by altering the respiratory cycle of cancer cells and promoting their apoptosis. Derivatives of vitamins B1 and C, paracetamol, and salicylic acid, often used in concomitant cancer therapy, were prepared, and the possibility of selective modifi cation of other polyfunctional compounds was studied. The difference in the reactivity of hydroxy groups in tris(hydroxyphenyl)-substituted cis-imidazoline was studied.