Effect of acetone/citral molar ratio and reaction conditions in the aldol condensation of citral with acetone catalyzed by a Mg,Al-mixed oxide

The aldol condensation of citral with acetone catalyzed by a Mg,Al-mixed oxide (Al/(Al + Mg) molar ratio equal to 0.2) was studied. The influence of reaction parameters such as acetone/citral molar ratio, temperature, and reaction time was evaluated. The highest pseudoionone selectivity (90%) was achieved at 343 K after 4 h of reaction, with a citral conversion close to 50%.