Rhenium complex-catalyzed acylative cleavage of ethers with acyl chlorides

It was found that rhenium complex was an efficient catalyst for the acylative cleavage of C-O bond of ethers with acyl chlorides. When acyclic ethers were allowed to react with acyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of ReBr(CO)₅, acylative cleavage of C-O bond of acyclic ethers smoothly proceeded to give the corresponding esters in moderate to good yields. Similarly, cyclic ethers were acylative cleaved by acyl chlorides to give the corresponding chloro substituted esters in good yields by the use of Re₂O₇ catalyst.