Aldol condensation also

It turns out that a reaction still occurs because the carbonyl group itself is an electrophile. As the enolate forms, it can attack the carbonyl group of another aldehyde or ketone molecule. This is an aldol reaction or aldol condensation, also called an aldol addition. 

Aldol condensations also take place under acidic conditions. The enol serves as a weak nucleophile to attack an activated (protonated) carbonyl group. As an example, consider the acid-catalyzed aldol condensation of acetaldehyde. The first step is formation of the enol by the acid-catalyzed keto-enol tautomerism, as discussed earlier. The enol attacks the protonated carbonyl of another acetaldehyde molecule. Loss of the enol proton gives the aldol product. 

Retro-aldol condensations also are known to take place during pyrolysis. The mechanism of these reactions can be written as follows ... 

The side chains of lysine residues also may be oxidized to form the aldehyde, allysine. These aldehyde residues produce covalent cross-links between collagen molecules (Fig. 49.4). An allysine residue on one collagen molecule reacts with the amino group of a lysine residue on another molecule, forming a covalent Schiff base that is converted to more stable covalent cross-links. Aldol condensation also may occur between two allysine residues, which forms the structure lysinonorleucine. 

Oxodithioesters (123) reacts with methyl 4-bromocrotonate (124) to give the mixed dithioacetals (125), which immediately undergo an intramolecular aldol condensation to provide a practical synthesis of thiophenes (126) (Scheme 32) <88S556>. Similarly, reaction of 3-oxothioamides (127) with (124) gives thiophenes (128) (Equation (10)). Reaction of the chlorinated a, -unsaturated ketones (129) with ethyl thioglycolate followed by aldol condensation also provides thiophenes... 

The aldol condensation also offers a convenient way to synthesize molecules with five- and six-membered rings (and sometimes even larger rings). This can be done by an intramolecular aldol condensation using a dialdehyde, a keto aldehyde, or a diketone as the substrate. For example, the following keto aldehyde cyclizes to yield 1-cyclopentenyl methyl ketone ... 

Intramolecular aldol condensations also serve as the key step in bio-mimetic syntheses of polyketides, synthetic strategies that try to imitate in vitro a proven or an assumed biosynthetic path vay [30]. Although the first attempts in this direction go back to the early 20th century [31], practical and efficient syntheses based on this concept vere elaborated much later. 

In an intramolecular aldol condensation of a diketone many products are conceivable, since four different ends can be made. Five- and six-membered rings, however, wUl be formed preferentially. Kinetic or thermodynamic control or different acid-base catalysts may also induce selectivity. In the Lewis acid-catalyzed aldol condensation given below, the more substituted enol is formed preferentially (E.J. Corey, 1963 B, 1965B). 

The synthesis of cyclohexenone derivatives by Michael addition followed by intramolec ular aldol condensation is called the Robinson annulation, after Sir Robert Robinson who popularized its use By annulatwn we mean the building of a ring onto some start mg molecule (The alternative spelling annelation is also often used)... 

The base-catalyzed reaction of acetaldehyde with excess formaldehyde [50-00-0] is the commercial route to pentaerythritol [115-77-5]. The aldol condensation of three moles of formaldehyde with one mole of acetaldehyde is foUowed by a crossed Cannizzaro reaction between pentaerythrose, the intermediate product, and formaldehyde to give pentaerythritol (57). The process proceeds to completion without isolation of the intermediate. Pentaerythrose [3818-32-4] has also been made by condensing acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 45°C using magnesium oxide as a catalyst (58). The vapor-phase reaction of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 475°C over a catalyst composed of lanthanum oxide on siHca gel gives acrolein [107-02-8] (59). 

DIBK can be produced by the hydrogenation of phorone which, in turn, is produced by the acid-catalyzed aldol condensation of acetone. It is also a by-product in the manufacture of methyl isobutyl ketone. Diisobutyl ketone ( 1.37/kg, October 1994) is produced in the United States by Union Carbide (Institute, West Virginia) and Eastman (Kingsport, Teimessee) (47), and is mainly used as a coating solvent. Catalytic hydrogenation of diisobutyl ketone produces the alcohol 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol [108-82-7]. 

Lithium Iodide. Lithium iodide [10377-51 -2/, Lil, is the most difficult lithium halide to prepare and has few appHcations. Aqueous solutions of the salt can be prepared by carehil neutralization of hydroiodic acid with lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide. Concentration of the aqueous solution leads successively to the trihydrate [7790-22-9] dihydrate [17023-25-5] and monohydrate [17023-24 ] which melt congmendy at 75, 79, and 130°C, respectively. The anhydrous salt can be obtained by carehil removal of water under vacuum, but because of the strong tendency to oxidize and eliminate iodine which occurs on heating the salt ia air, it is often prepared from reactions of lithium metal or lithium hydride with iodine ia organic solvents. The salt is extremely soluble ia water (62.6 wt % at 25°C) (59) and the solutions have extremely low vapor pressures (60). Lithium iodide is used as an electrolyte ia selected lithium battery appHcations, where it is formed in situ from reaction of lithium metal with iodine. It can also be a component of low melting molten salts and as a catalyst ia aldol condensations. 

Citral reacts in an aldol condensation using excess acetone and a basic catalyst, usually sodium hydroxide. The excess acetone can be recovered for recycle. The resulting intermediate pseudoionone [141-10-6] (83) after cyclization with phosphoric acid gives predominantly a-ionone [127-41 -3] (84), which is the isomer commercially important in flavors and fragrances. A hydrocarbon solvent is generally necessary in order to get high yields. P-Ionone [14901-07-6] (85) is the predominant isomer if sulfuric acid is used as the catalyst but lower temperature than that for cyclization to a-ionone is required. y-Ionone [79-6-5] (86) is also produced. 

Methyl amyl ketone, derived from the crossed aldol condensation of -butyraldehyde and acetone, is used predominandy as a high soHds coatings solvent. It is also employed as a replacement for the very toxic 2-ethoxyethyl acetate [111 -15-9J. 

Isatin (190) is a compound with interesting chemistry. It can be iV-acetylated with acetic anhydride, iV-methylated via its sodium or potassium salt and O-methylated via its silver salt. Oxidation of isatins with hydrogen peroxide in methanolic sodium methoxide yields methyl anthranilates (81AG(E)882>. In moist air, O-methylisatin (191) forms methylisatoid (192). Isatin forms normal carbonyl derivatives (193) with ketonic reagents such as hydroxylamine and phenylhydrazine and the reactive 3-carbonyl group also undergoes aldol condensation with active methylene compounds. Isatin forms a complex derivative, isamic acid (194), with ammonia (76JCS(P1)2004). 

For the other broad category of reaction conditions, the reaction proceeds under conditions of thermodynamic control. This can result from several factors. Aldol condensations can be effected for many compounds using less than a stoichiometric amount of base. Under these conditions, the aldol reaction is reversible, and the product ratio will be determined by the relative stability of the various possible products. Conditions of thermodynamic control also permit equilibration among all the enolates of the nucleophile. The conditions that permit equilibration include higher reaction temperatures, protic solvents, and the use of less tightly coordinating cations. 

It is also possible to carry out the aldol condensation under acidic conditions. The reactive nucleophile is then the enol. The mechanism, as established in detail for acetaldehyde, involves nucleophilic attack of the enol on the protonated aldehyde. 

Trifluoromethyl alkyl ketones also undergo directed aldol condensations under thermodynamic conditions in the presence of piperidine and acetic acid [2, d] Under these reaction conditions, the product suffers a facile dehydration to form the unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones (equations 2 and 3)... 

Comforth has reviewed literature reports and independently studied the special cases of reaction of 1 with salicylaldehyde and with 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde. Coumarins (10) are afforded in the condensation of 1 with salicylaldehyde or its imine, whereas when 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde is used, acetoxy oxazolone 12 is the major product. The initial aldol condensation product between the oxazolone and 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde is the 4-(a-hydroxybenzyl)oxazolone 11, in which base-catalyzed intramolecular transacetylation is envisioned. The product 9 (R = Ac) can either be acetylated on the phenolic hydroxy group, before or after loss of acetic acid, to yield the oxazolone 12, or it can rearrange, by a second intramolecular process catalyzed by base and acid, to the hydrocoumarin, which loses acetic acid to yield 10. When salicylaldehyde is the starting material, aldol intermediate 9 (R = H) can rearrange directly to a hydrocoumarin. Comforth also accessed pure 4-(2 -hydroxyphenylmethylene)-2-phenyloxazol-5(4//)-one (13) through hydrolysis of 12 with 88% sulfuric acid. 

The addition of the a-carbon of an enolizable aldehyde or ketone 1 to the carbonyl group of a second aldehyde or ketone 2 is called the aldol reaction It is a versatile method for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, and is frequently used in organic chemistry. The initial reaction product is a /3-hydroxy aldehyde (aldol) or /3-hydroxy ketone (ketol) 3. A subsequent dehydration step can follow, to yield an o ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compound 4. In that case the entire process is also called aldol condensation. 

The aldol reaction is a carbonyl condensation that occurs between two aldehyde or ketone molecules. Aldol reactions are reversible, leading first to a /3-hydroxy aldehyde or ketone and then to an cr,/6-unsaturated product. Mixed aldol condensations between two different aldehydes or ketones generally give a mixture of all four possible products. A mixed reaction can be successful, however, if one of the two partners is an unusually good donor (ethyl aceto-acetate, for instance) or if it can act only as an acceptor (formaldehyde and benzaldehyde, for instance). Intramolecular aldol condensations of 1,4- and 1,5-diketones are also successful and provide a good way to make five-and six-inembered rings. 

This reaction is also called the aldol condensation, though, strictly speaking, this term applies to the formation only of the a, p-unsaturated product, and not the aldol. 

Lipase from C.antarctica also catalyzes carbon-carbon bond formation through aldol condensation of hexanal. The reaction is believed to proceed according to the same mechanism as the Michael additions [113]. Lipase from Pseudomonas sp. 

---