[2][5] The authors demonstrated that Friedel-Crafts acylation could be achieved in excellent yield between arenes and acid anhydrides when utilizing Hf(OTf)4 as a catalyst.

Hf(OTf)4-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation has been utilized in the total synthesis of the altertoxin III framework.

Hf(OTf)4 accelerated the reaction rate under milder conditions with only 0.1 mol% catalyst loading.

This methodology was utilized in the total synthesis of (-)-leucomidine B from an enantioenriched monoacid synthesized via a Hf(OTf)4 catalyzed thioacetalization.

[9] In 2009, Nakamura et al. demonstrated that Hf(OTf)4 was uniquely able to catalyzed a Prins reaction between an aryl aldehyde and an O-protected/unprotected cyclohex-3-ene-1,2-dimethanol.