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Aldol condensation

6 real reactions from the literature, on aromatic aldehydes, aryl ketones and five-membered cyclic ketones. Each scheme shows starting materials, conditions and products, with the yield and reference where the source reports them.

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  1. Aldol condensation: cyclopentanone (a five-membered cyclic ketone) with NaOH; H2O gives cyclopentylidenecyclopentan-2-one (the α,β-unsaturated ketone). 60% yield.

    Aldol condensationGreen Chem. 2013, 15, 1932
  2. Aldol condensation: benzaldehyde (an aromatic aldehyde) with NaOH, aq. CH3CH2OH gives (1E,4E)-1,5-diphenyl-1,4-pentadien-3-one (the α,β-unsaturated ketone).

  3. Aldol condensation: furfural (an aromatic aldehyde) with 1) acetone, NaOH; H2O; 2) H2SO4 gives furfuralacetone (the α,β-unsaturated ketone).

  4. Aldol condensation: benzaldehyde (an aromatic aldehyde) with 1) acetone, aq. NaOH; 2) HCl gives benzylideneacetone (the α,β-unsaturated ketone).

  5. Aldol condensation: benzaldehyde (an aromatic aldehyde) and acetophenone (an aryl ketone) with TsOH gives chalcone (the α,β-unsaturated ketone). 98% yield.

    Aldol condensationInd Pat App 2014DE00146
  6. Aldol condensation: 4'-hydroxyacetophenone (an aryl ketone) and 3-fluorobenzaldehyde (an aromatic aldehyde) with KOH; EtOH gives the α,β-unsaturated ketone. 83% yield.