Method of manufacture of acetals on the basis of the acetylene

摘要

Acetals are prepared by reacting acetylene with a primary or secondary alcohol in the presence of a halogen compound of a platinum metal. Preferred metals are Pt, Rh, Ru and Os. The alcohol is preferably used in excess. An acid and/or an alkali metal salt, e.g. a sodium halide, may also be present. The acid may be provided by a compound which yields free acid under the reaction conditions, e.g. an acyl chloride. Examples describe the reaction of acetylene with n-butanol, ethylene glycol, ethanol, n-propanol, sec-butanol and cyclohexanol using platinous chloride, sodium chloroplatinite, rhodium trichloride, osmium trichloride and ruthenium trichloride as the catalyst.