Gluconic acid aqueous solution as a sustainable and recyclable promoting medium for organic reactions

• DOI: 10.1039/c1gc15411g
• Publication Date: 2011-07-08T17:29:41Z
• Authors: Binghua Zhou; Jie Yang; Minghao Li; Yanlong Gu
• Keywords: Gluconic acid; Dihydropyran; Organic reaction; Aqueous medium; Pyran

For the first time, gluconic acid aqueous solution (GAAS), a biobased weakly acidic liquid, was used as an effective promoting medium for organic reactions, such Michael addition of indoles to α,β-unsaturated ketones, electrophilic ring-opening reaction 3,4-dihydropyran with and Friedel–Crafts alkylation electron-rich aromatics benzyl alcohols. The concept using GAAS solvent reactions not only offers sustainable candidate progress in innovation, but also opens up new avenue utilization this polyhydroxylated acid. Among features that render so interesting is ability act both catalyst. Moreover, methodology significant improvements regard yield products, simplicity operation, cost efficiency green aspects, terms avoiding toxic catalysts minimizing generation waste.