A newmethod for the catalytic aldol reaction to ketones, using CuF.3PPh3.2EtOH complex as the catalyst and (EtO)3SiF as the additive, is described. The reaction can be applied to a wide range of ketones and trimethylsilyl enolates. On the basis of mechanistic studies, a working hypothesis for the catalytic cycle is proposed, in which the dynamic ligand exchange mediated by copper silicates produces
Reformatskyreactions of a phenyl ketone, an alpha-bromoester, zinc dust, and a catalytic amount of iodine in dioxane under high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) irradiation from an ultrasonic probe give high yields of beta-hydroxyesters in short reaction times. A series of alkyl phenyl ketones with increasing steric demands of the alkyl group are evaluated as potential electrophiles for the reactions with