Orientation in the Crossed Aldol Condensation of Chloral with Unsymmetrical Aliphatic Ketones

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Abstract
The reactivity of a series of 14 aliphatic ketones in the crossed aldol condensation with chloral has been studied in glacial acetic acid and in dimethoxyethane. The reaction is irreversible and not accompanied by dehydration of the resulting 1,1,1-trichloro-3-hydroxy-4-alkanones. Except for butanone, condensation occurs preferentially at the least-hindered position of an unsymmetrical ketone. The α-methyl/α-methylene condensation product ratio obtained from ketones of the general formula RCH2COCH3 is higher in acetic acid than in dimethoxyethane as solvent when sodium acetate is used as catalyst. The steric size and chain length of the alkyl groups of methyl alkyl ketones have a marked effect on the reactivity of the α-methyl group toward chloral. Condensation at the α-methylene group results in the formation of diastereomeric ketols which epimerize under the preparative reaction conditions.

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