Oxidative Conversion of α,α-Disubstituted Acetamides to Corresponding One-Carbon-Shorter Ketones Using Hypervalent Iodine (λ⁵) Reagents in Combination with Tetraethylammonium Bromide

α,α-Disubstituted acetamides undergo oxidative dehomologation to give one-carbon-shorter ketones when reacted with a hypervalent iodine (λ⁵) reagent in combination with tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) in various solvents. In further studies, one such combination of a hypervalent iodine (λ⁵) reagent, o-iodoxybenzoic acid, and TEAB has been established as a new, mild, efficient, and general method for the transformation.