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Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,6-Ketoesters Mediated by Ionic Liquids: A Three-component Reaction Enabling Rapid Access to a New Class of Low Molecular Weight Gelators
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Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,6-Ketoesters Mediated by Ionic Liquids: A Three-component Reaction Enabling Rapid Access to a New Class of Low Molecular Weight Gelators

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Asymmetric glycolate aldol reactions using cinchonium phase-transfer catalysts

Merritt B Andrus1, Jing Liu, Zhifeng Ye

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, C100 BNSN, Provo, UT 84602-5700, USA. mbandrus@chem.byu.edu

Organic Letters
|August 27, 2005
PubMed

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Crossed Aldol Reaction Using Strong Bases: Directed Aldol Reaction

The reaction between two different carbonyl compounds comprising α hydrogen in the presence of a strong base like lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) to form a crossed aldol product is known as a directed aldol reaction. The directed aldol reaction is depicted in Figure 1.
C–C Bond Formation: Aldol Condensation Overview01:10

C–C Bond Formation: Aldol Condensation Overview

Aldol condensation is an important route in synthetic organic chemistry used to generate a new carbon–carbon bond under basic or acidic conditions. The aldol condensation reaction presented in Figure 1 constitutes an aldol addition reaction followed by the dehydration process.
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Acid-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction

The aldol reaction of a ketone under acidic conditions successfully forms an unsaturated carbonyl as the final product instead of an aldol. The acid-catalyzed aldol reaction is depicted in Figure 1.
C–C Bond Cleavage: Retro-Aldol Reaction00:57

C–C Bond Cleavage: Retro-Aldol Reaction

The reverse of the aldol addition reaction is called the retro-aldol reaction. Here, the carbon–carbon bond in the aldol product is cleaved under acidic or basic conditions to form two molecules of carbonyl compounds. The mechanism of the reaction consists of three steps.
In the first step, as depicted in Figure 1, the base deprotonates the β-hydroxy ketone at the hydroxyl group to form an alkoxide ion.
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Crossed Aldol Reactions: Overview

Crossed aldol addition is the reaction between two different carbonyl compounds under acidic or basic conditions. Here, both the carbonyl compounds function as nucleophiles and electrophiles. As shown in Figure 1, such a reaction yields a mixture of products, two of which are formed via self-condensation, while the remaining two are formed via crossed-condensation. Without adjustment, the reaction's usefulness in organic chemistry is decreased.
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Aldol Condensation vs Claisen Condensation

Aldol condensation is an acid or base-catalyzed condensation between aldehydes or ketones to give an α,ꞵ-unsaturated carbonyl compound. A base-promoted condensation between ester molecules to produce a ꞵ-ketoester is known as the Claisen condensation. In the presence of a base, both reactions involve deprotonation of the acidic α hydrogen to produce the corresponding enolates. The nucleophilic enolates attack their respective nonenolized carbonyl compound forming a tetrahedral intermediate.