Abstract:We herein report the synthesis of 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol from isobutene and HCHO in water via a Prins condensation-hydrolysis reaction over CeO 2 , which is a water-tolerant Lewis acid catalyst. The CeO 2 exhibits significant catalytic activity for the reaction, giving 95% HCHO conversion and 84% 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol selectivity at 150 • C for 4 h. The crystal planes of CeO 2 have a significant effect on the catalytic activity for the Prins reaction. The (110) plane shows the highest catalytic activity among the crystal planes investigated (the (100), (110), and (111) planes), due to its higher concentration of Lewis acid sites, which is in line with the concentration of oxygen vacancies. Detailed characterizations, including NH 3 -TPD, pyridine-adsorbed FT-IR spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, revealed that the concentration of Lewis acid sites is proportional to the concentration of oxygen vacancies. This study indicates that the Lewis acidity induced by oxygen vacancy can be modulated by selective synthesis of CeO 2 with different morphologies, and that the Lewis acidity and oxygen vacancy play an important role in Prins condensation and hydrolysis reaction.