The Tishchenko Reaction: A Classic and Practical Tool for Ester Synthesis

Abstract 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.