The aldol condensation of acetaldehyde and heptanal has been carried out in the liquid phase between 353 and 413 K using different types of solid base catalysts: MgO with strong Lewis basic sites, Mg(Al)O mixed oxides with acid-base pairs of the Lewis type obtained from hydrotalcite precursor, and rehydrated Mg(Al)O mixed oxides with Bronsted basic sites. The influence of several reaction parameters, temperature. acetaldehyde to heptanal molar ratio, nature of solvent (hexane, toluene, ethanol), has been investigated. A comparative study of the catalysts has been performed in the such defined optimal reaction conditions, i.e., 373 K, acetaldehyde/heptanal molar ratio, 2/1; and ethanol/reactants molar ratio, 5/1. Mg(Al)O mixed oxides calcined below 673 K are the most selective catalyst to 2-nonenal, the cross-condensation product formed when in the first step proton abstraction occurs from acetaldehyde. Acid-base pairs of moderate basic strength are suitable when this cross-condensation is the desired reaction. Stronger Lewis basic sites of MgO or Bronsted-type basic sites of the rehydrated mixed oxide tend to favor the formation of carbanion from heptanal. This latter leads to the formation of 2-pentyl-2-butenal and 2-pentyl-2-nonenal by cross-condensation with acetaldehyde and self-condensation, respectively. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.