Importance of water in aldol condensation reactions of acetaldehyde

Abstract

The condensation of an aldehyde (formaldehyde or acetaldehyde) with vinyl alcohol has been studied using quantum-mechanical methods. Reaction models with and without an additional water molecule have been examined in parallel. An analysis of the electronic changes during the reaciton has been performed, using a localized orbital approach. The effect of the solvent has been introduced, making use of a continuous dielectric model developed in our laboratory. Analysis of the reaction mechanism shows that a water molecule eases the condensation process, and may be considered as a catalyst.