Cobalt-catalyzed photolytic methoxycarbonylation of bromoalkanes in the presence of a Lewis acid

Addition of a water-stable Lewis acid, indium trichloride, improved the rate of photochemical methoxycarbonylation of bromoalkanes. Primary and secondary bromoalkanes were carbonylated in good yields. Carbonylation of tertiary substrates was somewhat more difficult and some of them reacted too slowly for the reaction to be of a preparative value.