Tropylium salts as efficient organic Lewis acid catalysts for acetalization and transacetalization reactions in batch and flow

Acetalization reactions play significant roles in the synthetically important masking chemistry of carbonyl compounds. Herein we demonstrate for the first time that tropylium salts can act as organic Lewis acid catalysts to facilitate acetalization and transacetalization reactions of a wide range of aldehyde substrates. This metal-free method works efficiently in both batch and flow conditions, prompting further future applications of tropylium organo-catalysts in green synthesis.