10.1002/adsc.201000355
The research focuses on the development of a highly efficient, large-scale asymmetric direct intermolecular aldol reaction using l-prolinamide as a recoverable catalyst. The purpose of this study was to create a simple, bifunctional, recoverable, and reusable organocatalyst that promotes aldol reactions with a high level of enantioselectivity. The catalyst was effective with a wide range of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes with cyclic and acyclic ketones, yielding anti-aldol products with up to 99:1 anti/syn ratio and 98% ee. The catalyst could be easily recovered and reused with only a slight decrease in enantioselectivity over five cycles. The study concluded that l-prolinamide 1b is a robust and effective catalyst for highly enantioselective aldol reactions, and its application can be scaled up while maintaining the same level of enantioselectivity, offering significant potential for industrial applications. Key chemicals used in the process include l-prolinamide derivatives as catalysts, 3-methylbenzoic acid as a cocatalyst, and various aldehydes and ketones as substrates.