KINETIC PRINCIPLES AND MECHANISMS OF HYDROLYTIC DEGRADATION OF MONOACETALS AND POLYACETALS - A REVIEW

The wide utilization of compounds containing acetal fragments in dealing with both theoretical and applied problems has given great impetus to the development of research in this particular field of chemistry. The high sensitivity of the acetal bond to changes in structural factors and its marked tendency to acid hydrolysis make possible the successful application of acetal-containing compounds for studying the theoretical aspects of the hydrolysis mechanism. Hydrolytic instability of the acetal bond impedes the wide technical application of articles made of polyacetals without preliminary stabilization. The present review, based on recent achievements, considers a complex of problems dealing with the kinetics of hydrolytic degradation and stabilization of a wide range of mono- and polyacetals as well giving examples of the use of various hydrolysis mechanisms and methods of inhibition of hydrolysis.