Aldol reactions experimental protocol

Now we are prepared to illustrate these experimental protocols of reaction progress kinetic analysis using data from reaction calorimetric monitoring of the aldol reaction shown in Scheme 27.1. We turn hrst to the issue of catalyst stability using our same excess protocol. In these aldol reactions, it was noted that the active catalyst concentration can be effectively decreased by the formation of oxazolidinones between proline and aldehydes or ketones, and that addition of water can suppress this catalyst deactivation. Same excess reactions carried out in the absence of water and in the presence of water are shown in Figure 27.3a and Figure 27.3b, respectively. The plots do not overlay in the absence of water, but they do when water is present. The overlay in these same [e] experiments in Figure 27.3b means that the total concentration of active catalyst within the cycle is constant and is the same in the two experiments where water is present. 

The final two Chapters contain descriptions of equally important reactions. Chapter 11 has experimental details for two asymmetric coupling reactions leading to aldol products as well as two protocols for performing asymmetric Michael reactions. Asymmetric and diastereoselective hydroformylation reactions form the bulk of Chapter 12 we have joined them together with a modern carbonylation procedure and an intriguing carboxylation reaction. 

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