Zinc(II) salts catalyze the reaction between acetals and acidhalides to provide haloalkyl ethers in near-quantitativeyield. Reactions from millimole to mole scale are typicallycomplete in 1−4 h with 0.01 mol % catalyst. The solutionsof haloalkyl ethers thus obtained can be utilized directly inreactions in which the presence of the ester byproduct doesnot interfere. Excess haloalkyl ether is destroyed on workup,thereby minimizing exposure to this class of carcinogeniccompounds.