Ionic liquid, surrogate hydrogen bromide reagent for ring opening of cyclopropyl ketones.

Ionic liquid reagents created by addition of 1 equiv of either CF3CO2H or CF3SO3H to N-pentylpyridinium bromide exhibit excellent chemical reactivities as surrogate HBr reagents in ring-opening reactions of cyclopropyl ketones as well as of 2,2-difluorocyclopropyl ketones to form the respective 3-bromopropyl or 3-bromo-2,2-difluoropropyl ketones in good to excellent yields.