“…Though easily stated, the mechanism for the formation of a charged intermediate [ 5 , 7 – 11 ] followed by attack of water, cleavage of RO–C bonds, and several proton-transfer reactions is non-trivial [ 6 , 8 , 10 , 12 – 13 ]; and indeed the debate about the factors influencing the overall rate of reaction and the synchronicity of steps has yet to achieve consensus [ 11 , 14 – 15 ]. Factors such as solvent [ 13 ], catalyst p K a [ 9 ], –OR basicity [ 6 , 16 – 17 ], the kinetic anomeric effect [ 18 ], the impact of substituents upon the formation [ 10 – 11 19 – 22 ] and reactivity of charged intermediates [ 14 ] have all attracted scrutiny. A generic 2-alkoxy-2-alkyl-1,3-dioxolane A is used to illustrate the generally accepted specific acid-catalysed three-stage hydrolysis mechanism of orthoesters ( Scheme 1 ) [ 23 ].…”