Catalysis of an Aldol Condensation Using a Coordination Cage

The Complete Mechanism of an Aldol Condensation.

Although aldol condensation is one of the most important organic reactions, capable of forming new C-C bonds, its mechanism has never been fully established. We now conclude that the rate-limiting step in the base-catalyzed aldol condensation of benzaldehydes with acetophenones, to produce chalcones, is the final loss of hydroxide and formation of the C═C bond. This conclusion is based on a stu...

Organic Synthesis: Aldol Condensation Reaction

In an "aldol addition" reaction an enol or enolate of an aldehyde or ketone reacts with a second aldehyde or ketone forming a new carbon-carbon bond which makes the aldol reaction an important reaction for organic synthesis. Originally, the aldol reaction used ethanal (see below) and therefore the product contained both an aldehyde and an alcohol functional group; thus it became known as the al...

Organic Synthesis: Aldol Condensation Reaction

In an "aldol addition" reaction an enol or enolate of an aldehyde or ketone reacts with a second aldehyde or ketone forming a new carbon-carbon bond. This makes the aldol reaction an important reaction for organic synthesis. Originally, the aldol reaction used ethanal (see below) and therefore the product contained both an aldehyde and an alcohol functional group; thus it became known as the al...

The Aldol Condensation Preparation of 4-Methoxybenzalacetone

An octanuclear coordination cage with a 'cuneane' core--a topological isomer of a cubic cage.

The octanuclear coordination cage [Ni(8)(L(14Naph))(12)](BF(4))(16) has the core structure of a 'cuneane'--a toplogical isomer of a cube--with a metal ion at each of the eight vertices and bridging ligand spanning each of the twelve edges; this is the only possible 8-vertex polyhedron other than a cube that will form a cage in which each metal is connected to three others.