One-Pot Synthesis of Acetals from Esters: Access to Naturally Occurring Fragrances

A one-pot conversion of esters to the corresponding acetals has been developed by coupling catalytic hydrosilylation with the quenching of the reaction mixture with appropriate alcohols or thiols. This transformation is achieved with only 0.1 mol % of SBR12 catalyst, a stoichiometric amount of dimethylchlorosilane, and excess alcohol with yields up to 99%. The method features broad functional group tolerance and enables access to several naturally occurring acetals characterized by floral scents.