Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy
07:36

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy

Published on: November 9, 2019

Rate limiting step precedes C-C bond formation in the archetypical proline-catalyzed intramolecular aldol reaction

Hui Zhu1, Fernando R Clemente, K N Houk

  • 1University of California, Merced, School of Natural Sciences, P.O. Box 2039, Merced, California 95344, USA.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|February 5, 2009
PubMed

More Related Videos

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols10:12

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols

Published on: April 4, 2014

A Two-Step Protocol for Umpolung Functionalization of Ketones Via Enolonium Species08:12

A Two-Step Protocol for Umpolung Functionalization of Ketones Via Enolonium Species

Published on: August 16, 2018

Related Concept Videos

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.
Base-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction01:08

Base-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction

As depicted in Figure 1, base-catalyzed aldol addition involves adding two carbonyl compounds in aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a β-hydroxy carbonyl compound.
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.
Acid-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction01:15

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.
Aldol Condensation vs Claisen Condensation01:33

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.
Intramolecular Aldol Reaction01:18

Intramolecular Aldol Reaction

Intramolecular aldol reaction occurs in dicarbonyl compounds such as dialdehydes, diketones, and keto-aldehydes. The dicarbonyl compounds possess more than one nucleophilic ⍺ carbon for the base to deprotonate and form the enolates. For example, in symmetrical diketones, there are four ⍺ carbons. Hence, four types of enolates are possible when treated with a base. However, since the molecule is symmetrical, the enolates formed on either side of one carbonyl group are equivalent to those formed...