title: Water-compatible organocatalysts for direct asymmetric syn-aldol reactions of dihydroxyacetone and aldehydes.
abstract: A novel organocatalyst was developed that effectively catalyzed the reactions of unprotected or protected dihydroxyacetone with a variety of aldehydes to provide syn-aldol products with good yields and ee values up to >99%. Significantly, this amide catalyst was effective with a variety of nonaromatic aldehyde acceptors that had proven difficult in the presence of other catalysts. Reactions of protected dihydroxyacetone proceeded in aqueous media without addition of organic solvents.
authors: The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, and Departments of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors: S S V
authors: SS
authors: Ramasastry
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Albertshofer
authors: Naoto
authors: N
authors: Utsumi
authors: Carlos F
authors: CF
authors: Barbas
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004098:Dihydroxyacetone / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D014867:Water; D004098:Dihydroxyacetone