Sodium ethoxide Michael addition catalyst

The addition of active methylene compounds (ethyl malonate, ethyl aoeto-acetate, ethyl plienylacetate, nltromethane, acrylonitrile, etc.) to the aP-double bond of a conjugated unsaturated ketone, ester or nitrile In the presence of a basic catalyst (sodium ethoxide, piperidine, diethylamiiie, etc.) is known as the Michael reaction or Michael addition. The reaction may be illustrated by the addition of ethyl malonate to ethyl fumarate in the presence of sodium ethoxide hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the addendum (ethyl propane-1 1 2 3-tetracarboxylate) yields trlcarballylic acid ... 

The highest yielding Michael reactions are iliose that take place when a particularly stable enolate ion, sudt as that derived from a /3-keu> ester or malontc cater, adds loan unhindered a,j3-unsaturat d ketone. For exam> pie, ethyl acetoacetate reacts with 3-buten-2-une in the presence of sodium ethoxide catalyst to yield the eOhiugate addition product. 

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