The interaction of 2-monosubstituted 1,3-dioxolanes with 3-hexyl-1-ethylaluminacyclopentane leads to the cleavage of the Al-C bond of the metallocycle and the formation of ethylene glycol monoethers after hydrolysis of the resulting reaction mixture. Catalytic amounts of ZrCl4 or Ni(acac)(2) activate the process. The reaction of 2-monosubstituted 1,3-dioxolanes with 1-ethyl-3-naphthylaluminacyclopentane yields the product of cleavage of the exocyclic Al-Et bond of aluminacyclopentane.