Aliphatic ketones, eg, butanone, are converted nearly quantitatively to the corresponding dioxolanes (ketals) in neat (S)-or (RS)-l, S-propanediol containing dichloroacetic acid. The reactions follow the pseudo-first-order law at a given acid concentration, are inhibited by water, and proceed approximately twofold faster in (RS)-diol-0, 0-d2 than in undeuterated diol. No difference in rates greater than 1% could be detected between (S)-and (RS)-dials ...