Novel Aspects in the Preparation of Phorone

The condensation of acetone using anhydrous hydrogen chloride results after three weeks at room temperature, in a 1 5 % yield of phorone (4) and a 7 5 % yield of mesityl oxide (5). In the presence of one weight percent of the Lewis acid, aluminium chloride, the yield of 4 is increased to 3 9 % . An increase in the amount of the Lewis acid, aluminium chloride, to ten weight percent results in a 2 2 % yield of phorone (4) and a 6 8 % yield of mesityl oxide (5). In the presence of one hundred weight percent of aluminium chloride,