S y n t h e s i s o f 2 , 2 -D i b r o m o -1 -a r y l e t h a n o n e s Alexander O. Terent'ev,* Abstract: 1-Arylethanones and related compounds are brominated in dioxane with the H 2 O 2 -HBr aq system, resulting in the replacement of two hydrogen atoms in the methyl group with bromine. The reaction is also accompanied by bromination of the aromatic ring provided that the latter contains electron-donating substituents. The reaction proceeds rapidly (20 min) and results in complete conversion of ketones to give 2,2-dibromo-1-arylethanones in yields up to 86%.2,2-Dibromo-1-arylethanones are used in organic synthesis primarily for the construction of heterocyclic structures 1-3 and small rings, 4-6 for the preparation of compounds with a double 7-9 or triple 10 bond, and in reactions with phosphorous esters 11,12 and thiols. 13,14 Most of the known methods for the synthesis of 2,2-dibromo-1-arylethanones are based on bromination of acetophenones with molecular bromine 8,11,15-18 and its complex compounds. 19,20 In the last two decades, chlorination and bromination of organic compounds with HCl or HBr combined with peroxides have developed extensively. 21-38 These methods are most actively used for halogenation of arenes, 22-26,28-36 alkenes, 21,23 and ketones. 37,38 As part of our continuing studies on the use of hydrogen peroxide in organic synthesis, in particular the halogenation of ketones, 38 we report the results of bromination of 1-arylethanones with the H 2 O 2 -HBr system. The influence of experimental conditions on the selectivity of bromination and the yield of 2,2-dibromo-1-phenylethanone was revealed using acetophenone (1) as an example (Scheme 1, Table 1). The reaction was carried out by adding 35% aqueous hydrogen peroxide to a refluxing solution of ketone 1 in dioxane (acetic acid) and 48% hydrobromic acid for one minute. Then the mixture was refluxed with stirring for 20 minutes. The reaction afforded dibromoketone 3 as the major product and mono-(2) and tribromoketones (4) as by-products.Our study demonstrated that the highest yield (84%) of dibromoketone 3 was achieved in the presence of a fourfold molar excess of H 2 O 2 (run 1). In the presence of a threefold molar excess of H 2 O 2 (run 2), the yield of 3 decreased to 78%, and monobromoketone 2 remained unconsumed. A decrease in the amount of HBr (run 3), a decrease in the reaction time to 8 min (run 4), or lowering of the reaction temperature to 50 °C (run 5) also lead to a decrease in the yield of dibromoketone 3.Bromination of ketone 1 in acetic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid afforded dibromoketone 3 in 43% yield and tribromoketone 4 in 48% yield. The formation of product 4 is the first example of the preparation of 2,2,2-tribromo-1-phenylethanone in an acidic medium in a satisfactory yield. The use of a larger amount of H 2 O 2 did not lead to a considerable increase in the conversion of acetophenone 1 to tribromoketone 4. Alternative procedures for the synthesis of tribromoketone 4 are based on bromination of acetophenone in ac...