10.1016/j.tet.2005.09.079
The research aims to develop a general, acid-free method for the acetalization of various aldehydes and ketones using N,N-bis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl] thiourea as a neutral, double hydrogen bonding organocatalyst. The purpose of this method is to provide a mild and highly practical approach for the synthesis of acetals, which are important intermediates and protecting groups in synthetic and carbohydrate chemistry, particularly for acid-labile substrates. The study successfully demonstrated that a wide range of aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds, including saturated, aromatic, and unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, could be efficiently converted into their respective acetals at very low catalyst loadings (0.01–1 mol%) and at room temperature, yielding products in 65–99% yield with turnover frequencies around 600 h?1. The chemicals used in the process include various aldehydes and ketones, N,N-bis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl] thiourea, ethanol, 1,2-ethanediol, and alkyl orthoformates, among others. The conclusions of the research highlight the high efficiency and broad applicability of the developed organocatalytic acetalization method, which operates at the lowest catalyst loadings reported for an organocatalytic reaction to date and is particularly beneficial for substrates that are sensitive to acidic conditions.