Highly Selective Aldol Reaction of Dibenzoylmethanes with Formaldehyde Catalyzed by Cobalt Schiff Base Complex under Neutral Conditions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/00404-0399(50)1074R-

Coordinatively saturated hydroxocobalt(III) Schiff base complexes catalyze highly selective aldol reaction of dibenzoylmethanes with formaldehyde in methanol to give 1,3-dibenzoylpropanes, resulting from retro-Claisen reaction of 1,1,3,3-tetrabenzoylpropanes, which are obtained quantitatively in dichlorometane.Coordinatively saturated cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes ligating a substrate anion as a monodentate ligand is found to be the reactive species.