A Facile One-Pot Synthesis of Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Acetaldehyde Acetals from Primary Alcohols

Abstract

Initial formation of a vinyl ether 2 by treatment of a primary alcohol 1 with ethyl vinyl ether in the presence of mercury (II) acetate followed by treatment with the same or a different alcohol in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid affords the symmetrical and unsymmetrical acetaldehyde acetals 3 in good overall yield. The method is easily scaled up and represents a significant improvement over currently available procedures. © 1992, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.