Diethyl 3-bromo-3,3-difluoropropyl acetal: preparation and SnCl4-promoted cross-coupling reaction with trimethylsilyl enol ethers

The radical addition of dibromodifluoromethane to ethyl vinyl ether in ethanol under Na2S2O4 initiation affords diethyl 3-bromo-3,3-difluoropropyl acetal (1) in high yield. SnCl4-promoted cross-coupling reaction of 1 with trimethylsilyl enol ethers (2) yield γ-bromodifluoromethyl-β-ethoxy ketones (3).