TBD/Al2O3: a novel catalytic system for dynamic intermolecular aldol reactions that exhibit complex system behaviour†
Ángel Martínez-Castañeda,Humberto Rodríguez-Solla,Carmen Concellón,Vicente del Amo
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Pub Date : 01/27/2012 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/C2OB06648C
Abstract

The heterogeneous system TBD/Al2O3 is an efficient catalyst for the intermolecular aldol reaction between ketones and aromatic aldehydes. This system operates with low catalysts loading (10%), in water or organic solvents, and with short reaction times. The desired aldol products are rendered cleanly. Experiments confirmed that this aldol protocol is reversible, and allowed for the preparation of dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs) of interconverting aldols. Analysis of these DCLs showed up how properties such as diastereoselectivity can emerge unpredictably from the library when it is considered as a whole.

Graphical abstract: TBD/Al2O3: a novel catalytic system for dynamic intermolecular aldol reactions that exhibit complex system behaviour