Bismuth compounds in organic synthesis. Bismuth nitrate catalyzed chemoselective synthesis of acylals from aromatic aldehydes

Aromatic aldehydes are smoothly converted into the corresponding acylals in good yields in the presence of 3–10 mol% Bi(NO3)3·5H2O. Ketones are not affected under the reaction conditions. The relatively non-toxic nature of the catalyst, its ease of handling, easy availability and low cost make this procedure especially attractive for large-scale synthesis.