A selective solvent-free self-condensation of carbonyl compounds utilizing microwave irradiation

An environmentally benign microwave-assisted solvent-free self-condensation of carbonyl compounds was developed using catalytic amounts of triethylamine and lithium perchlorate. Changing the amount of lithium perchlorate helps in controlling the ratio of the single-condensation and double-condensation products. The effect of other additives and microwave activation was also investigated. The optimized conditions were then applied to various cyclic/acyclic ketones and aldehydes, with selectivity observed in many cases.