To ensure comparability of results, we initially focused on the acetylation of 1-naphthylphosphate (NaphPO4). The concentrations of the substrate and the acetylated product were determined by HPLC, using an internal standard. Nearly all methods resulted in the formation of at least a limited amount of naphthalene-1acetylphosphate (NaphAcPO4), yet the nature of the acetylation agent is crucial for the efficiency of the process. The observed differences can be explained by the relative reactivity and the hydrolytic stability of the acylation agents. Among the reagents shown, acetyl chloride (entry 1-2) exhibits the highest reactivity and undergoes rapid nucleophilic substitution with a variety of nucleophiles including water.