Acetalization of hydroxy- benzaldehydes, which has been reported to be
unsatisfactory under normal protonic acid condition, and of acetophen
ones, has been efficiently carried out in benzene solution using [Ru(C
H3CN)3(triphos)](OTf)2 (triphos = CH3C(CH2PPh2)3) as a catalyst and re
moving the water by azeotropic distillation.