Ketene acetal monomers: synthesis and characterization

A new, facile, and high-yield synthesis of ketene acetals derived from readily available and inexpensive starting materials has been developed. For example, an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde can be condensed with an alkane diol to afford a 2-vinyl substituted cyclic acetal. This latter compound can be converted to the desired cyclic ketene acetal by isomerization of the double bond in the presence of tris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) dichloride. Good to excellent yields of cyclic ketene acetals were obtained employing this method. The novel monomers were fully characterized by IR, NMR, and by elemental analysis. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.