Acetylacetonate (acac) complexes of titanium and zirconium were examined for their reactivity with alcohols and diols. Alcoholysis of the acac ligand resulted in the formation of acetone and the acetyl ester of the alcohol, with the concomitant formation of the metal alkoxide. The Zr(acac)(4) complex was more reactive than the Ti(acac)(2)(OR)(2) complexes (OR = alkoxide) while the reactivity of the alcohols increase in the order tertiary < secondary much less than primary.