Patent ID: 6245945
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: C07C,C07D

Abstract:
A process for selective hydrolysis of acetals in the presence of phthalides, which comprises reacting a mixture (M) comprisinga) a phthalide of the formula (I) ##STR7##where:R.sup.1,R.sup.2,R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 : are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or halogen,andb) an acetal or ketal of the formula (II) ##STR8##where:R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 : are independently C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 -aryl or together ethylene, andR.sup.7 and R.sup.8 : are independently C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, or one radical is a hydrogen and the other is a phenyl radical where from 1 to 3 hydrogen atoms of the phenyl radical may be replaced by C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl radicals or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy radicals, or R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are together C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 -alkanediyl, and a hydrogen atom may be replaced by a hydroxyl group,at from 10 to 200.degree. C. in the presence of from 1 to 10 mol of water, based on the amount of acetal or ketal of the formula (II), to hydrolyze the acetal or ketal of the formula (II) to the corresponding aldehyde or ketone.