Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry

An alternative synthesis of amidoalkyl naphthols, employing a four-component reaction of aryl aldehydes, enolisable ketones, acetyl chloride and acetonitrile to form the corresponding β-acetylamino ketones at room temperature in the presence of a catalytic amount of tetrabutyl ammonium hydrogen sulphate (TBAHS) has been described. The present procedure offers advantages such as shorter reaction time, simple workup with excellent yields. This simple procedure combined with the easy recovery and reuse of the catalyst makes this method economic, benign and a greener chemical process for the synthesis of β-acetamido ketones.