Particulate magnesium ethoxide having a high coarse particle content can be obtained in a simple and economical manner by the present invention, which provides a process for preparing particulate magnesium ethoxide having a coarse grain content, and includes reacting metallic, optionally activated, magnesium with liquid ethanol under pressure at a temperature above 78° C. The present invention also relates to particulate magnesium ethoxide having a coarse grain content, which contains: <40% by weight of a screening fraction ≤500 μm and ≥60% by weight of a screening fraction >500 μm.

Magnesium ethoxide was used for the first time in the synthesis of the titled compounds. In these preparations, product yields were significantly improved compared with similar synthesis catalyzed by other metal ethoxides. The effectiveness of magnesium ethoxide as catalyst was tentatively rationalized.