Water → 1-(5-Chloro-4-fluoro-2-methoxyphenyl)ethanone

To a stirred solution of DMF (10 mL) and 4-chloro-3-fluorophenol (1 g, 6.84 mmol) at RT, K2CO3 (1.4 g, 10.3 mmol) was added and solution was allowed to stir at room temperature for additional 15 min. Methyl iodide (1.16 g, 8.21 mmol) was added to the mixture and mixture was allowed to stir for overnight at RT. After the completion of reaction 10 mL of water was added and was extracted with ethyl acetate (3×15 mL) and the resulting organic layer was washed with water, brine and dried. 1-chloro-2-fluoro-4-methoxybenzene was obtained via column chromatography (10/1 Hexanes/Ethyl acetate). To a stirred solution of 1-chloro-2-fluoro-4-methoxybenzene (1.09 g, 6.82 mmol) and AlCl3 (1.36 g, 10.23 mmol) in CH3NO2 at 0° C., acetyl chloride (0.80 g, 10.23 mmol) was added and solution was allowed to warm up to room temperature and stir for overnight. After the completion of reaction 10 mL of water was added and was extracted with ethyl acetate (3×15 mL) and the resulting organic layer was washed with water, brine and dried. The solvent was removed in vacuo. The crude was purified by flash column chromatography using 10/1 Hexanes/Ethyl acetate to afford product (46%). 1H NMR: 2.59 (s, 3H), 3.91 (s, 3H), 6.78 (d, 1H, J=10.5 Hz), 7.85 (d, 1H, J=8.7 Hz).