What is the mechanism of aldol reaction?

Explain the mechanism of Aldol condensation. Aldol condensation is an organic reaction in which an enolate ion reacts with carboxyl compound in order to form a β– hydroxy aldehyde or β– hydroxy ketone. Hydroxide functions as a base and therefore moves the acidic a-hydrogen producing the reactive enolate ion.

What is aldol condensation explain with mechanism?

In aldol condensation, an enolate ion reacts with another carbonyl compound to form a conjugated enone. The process occurs in two parts: an aldol reaction, which forms an aldol product, and a dehydration reaction, which removes water to form the final product.

What is the first step in Aldolcondensation mechanism?

Step 1: Protonation of the oxygen of the carbonyl group occur. Step 2: The water molecule behaving as a base will remove the acidic α hydrogen leading to the formation of Enol. Step 3: The enol attacks a protonated carbonyl group of a second ketone molecule.

Is aldol addition a concerted mechanism?

The term aldol reactions is used to refer generically to both addition and condensation reactions. The dehydration part of the aldol condensation is a b-elimination reaction catalyzed by base, and it occurs in two distinct steps through an enolate-ion intermediate. This is not a concerted b-elimination.

Why is it called aldol condensation?

However, the aldol reaction is not formally a condensation reaction because it does not involve the loss of a small molecule. This reaction is named after two of its pioneering investigators Rainer Ludwig Claisen and J. G. Schmidt, who independently published on this topic in 1880 and 1881.

Why is aldol called aldol?

‘Aldol’ is an abbreviation of aldehyde and alcohol. When the enolate of an aldehyde or a ketone reacts at the α-carbon with the carbonyl of another molecule under basic or acidic conditions to obtain β-hydroxy aldehyde or ketone, this reaction is called Aldol Reaction.

What is aldol condensation with example?

An aldol condensation is a condensation reaction in organic chemistry in which an enol or an enolate ion reacts with a carbonyl compound to form a β-hydroxyaldehyde or β-hydroxyketone, followed by dehydration to give a conjugated enone.

Why aldol condensation is reversible?

The dehydration step of an aldol condensation is also reversible in the presence of acid and base catalysts. Consequently, on heating with aqueous solutions of strong acids or bases, many α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds fragment into smaller aldehyde or ketones, a process known as the retro-aldol reaction.

What is role of base in aldol condensation?

An acidic or basic solution can catalyze the condensation of aldol. By bases such as hydroxide ions and alcoxide ions, an aldehyde is partially converted to its enolate anion. The enolate is subjected to nucleophilic addition to the carbonyl group in a solution that contains both an aldehyde and its enolate ion.

What is the mechanism of an aldol addition?

Mechanism of the Aldol Addition Under conditions of kinetic control, the mixed Aldol Addition can be used to prepare adducts that are otherwise difficult to obtain selectively. This process begins with the irreversible generation of the kinetic enolate, e.g. by employing a sterically hindered lithium amide base such as LDA (lithium diisopropylamide).

What is the by product of condensation reaction?

A condensation reaction is a chemical reaction between two compounds where one of the products is water, ethanol, acetic acid, hydrogen sulfide, or ammonia . A condensation reaction is also known as a dehydration reaction. This type of reaction forms an addition product and water in the presence of a catalyst or under acidic or basic conditions.

What is an aldol reaction?

Aldol reaction. The aldol reaction is an important carbon-carbon bond formation reaction in organic chemistry. In its usual form, it involves the nucleophilic addition of a ketone enolate to an aldehyde to form a β-hydroxy ketone , or “aldol” (aldehyde + alcohol), a structural unit found in many naturally occurring molecules and pharmaceuticals.