Rhodium(I)- or ruthenium(II)-catalyzed direct coupling of vinyl ketones with aldehydes and the subsequent reduction to give aldol derivatives anti-selectively

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(89)80096-8

A vinyl ketone reacts with an aldehyde to give an α-methylene-β-hydroxyalkanone with the concomitant formation of the vinyl ketone dimer in the presence of catalytic amount of RhH(PPh3)4 or RuH2(PPh3)4 under almost neutral conditions.The selectivity of th