The Tishchenko reaction: A classic and practical tool for ester synthesis

This article reviews the Tishchenko reaction: 2 RCHO -> RCOOCH2R (R = hydrogen, alkyl, and aryl), describing the reaction mechanisms, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts developed for the reaction, a number of specific examples, and the utility of the reaction in the industrially large-scale production of ethyl acetate from acetaldehyde.