This reaction has been carried out routinely in our lab for a number of years by both undergraduates and postgraduates / postdoctorals . Although it is usually carried out on a large scale (70 g) the method is robust and can be utilised equally as well on a small scale. One drawback to this methodology is the work up procedure. The reaction calls for 4 equivalents of sodium acetate and acetic anyhdride. Removal of this excess and the acetic acid formed in the reaction means that the amount of aqueous phase collected is large and hence you find yourself having to deal with large scale extractions. e.g. a 70g scale reaction usually requires somewhere in the 5L scale of sodium bicarbonate solution to quench the reaction. One way to reduce this is to remove any solid before quenching. As with all other reactions in this sequence it is wise to wear gloves during handling at all stages. This transformation has also been attempted using acetyl chloride and pyridine. This method works equally as well on a small scale but removal of pyridine on a large scale is not desirable.