Condensation of Reformatsky reagents with acetals in the presence of TiCl4: a novel entry to enantiomerically-enriched β-hydroxy-esters

3-Alkoxy esters are prepared in high yield from the reaction of ethyl zinc-bromoacetate and acetals in the presence of TiCl4 under very mild conditions; using chiral acetals the corresponding 3-hydroxy esters have been obtained in fair enantiomeric excess.