A mild, simple, environmentally benign catalytic protocol for transforming epoxides (oxiranes) into their respective 1,3-dioxolanes. The different epoxides with ketones give exclusively 1,3-dioxolanes catalyzed by sulfated yttria-zirconia with moderate to good yields (A [3+2] cycloaddition approach). The GC and GC-MS analysis shown in most instances that the product obtained was exclusively 1,3-dioxolanes. The catalysts were characterized by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), EDAX, FTIR, Thermal methods, and n-butylamine potentiometric titration method. Simple work-up, mild process conditions, and solvent-free approach make the procedure superior to current techniques.

Keywords : Sulfated yttria-zirconia, 1,3-Dioxolanes, Solvent-free, green chemistry, heterogenous catalysis