Abstract
Our effort in uncovering synthetic utility of lanthanides has touched on cerium(IV) oxidation of organic compounds.1 Recognizing the hardness of these cations, e. g. m (La3+) 4.51 ev,2 which underlies the differential LIS of nmr signals3,4,5 for protons situated nearby the various complexing functional groups and is responsible for, in their presence, the regioselective borohydride reduction of conjugated enones,6,7 we have devised a mild method for hydrodehalogenating α-haloketones.