A variety of ?-acetamido ketones and ketoesters are readily prepared in high yields under extremely mild conditions via a three
component coupling of aromatic aldehydes, enolizable ketones or ?-ketoesters and nitriles in the presence of Sodium Sulphate
and a stoichiometric amount of acetyl chloride. A solution of 10 mol% of Sodium Sulphate in acetonitrile provides a convenient
reaction medium to carry out a three component reaction under mild conditions