PURPOSE: To obtain an acetal useful as an intermediate for medicines, agrochemicals or perfumes efficiently by adding a catalytic amount of a nitrite to the system in the reaction among an olefin, an alcohol and oxygen, as a satisfactory reaction rate is attained even in the amount of Pd catalyst reduced.
CONSTITUTION: The reaction among an olefin such as ethylene, propylene, methyl acrylate or the like, an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol and oxygen is carried out in the presence of (A) preferably metallic Pd or a divalent Pd compound, (B) a copper or iron salt, additionally (C) a nitrite in amounts of preferably 0.02-10 mole %, more preferably 0.2-1 mole % of (A). 0.1-50 mole %, more preferably 2-10 mole % of (B) and 0.05-25 mole %, more preferably 1-5 mole % of (C) in an oxygen atmosphere at 20-100°C.
KATO KEIKO
YAMAMOTO MASAHIRO
