Study on Catalytic Synthesis of Acetals(Ketals) by AlCl_3

The acetalization and ketalization of various aldehydes and ketones with glycerol by using AlCl_3 as catalyst are studied. Effects of reaction time, mole ratio of reactants and amount of catalyst on yield of acetals (ketals) were investigated. The optimum reaction conditions are as follows: molar ratio of aldehydes and ketones to glycerol is 1∶1.2, catalyst amount is 2 g per mole of aldehydes or ketones, reaction time is 2h. Under that condition, conversion rate is 99.2% and selectivity is 100%. And the results also show that AlCl_3 is an efficient catalyst for acetalization and ketalization with high catalytic activity and selectivity in mild conditions.