Acetalization of hexanal with 2-ethyl hexanol catalyzed by solid acids

Abstract

The catalyst activity of solid acids such as niobium phosphate and Amberlyst 35, an ion exchange resin, was evaluated in the acetalization of hexanal with 2-ethyl-hexanol. The catalyst loading and the reaction temperature were evaluated in the hexanal conversions. The possibility of recycling niobium phosphate was also studied, showing that it was possible to reuse this catalyst without significant loss in its catalytic activity. The yield in acetal was above 90% under mild conditions. © 2011 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.