Photo-irradiation of α-halo carbonyl compounds: a novel synthesis of α-hydroxy- and α,α′-dihydroxyketones

The reaction of α-halo ketones (α-iodocycloalkanones, α-bromocycloalkanones, α-iodo-β-alkoxy esters, and α-iodoacyclicketones) with irradiation under a high-pressure mercury lamp gave the corresponding α-hydroxyketones in good yields. For α-bromoketones, it was found that α-hydroxylation does not occur. However, α-bromoketones were converted into α-hydroxyketones in the presence of KI. In the case of α,α′-diiodo ketones, α,α′-dihydroxyketones, which up to now have scarcely been reported, were obtained. This reaction affords a new, clean and convenient synthetic method for α-hydroxy- and α,α′-dihydroxyketones.