3.5 Aldol condensation

In an aldol condensation, an enolate ion reacts with a carbonyl compound to form a β-hydroxyaldehyde or β-hydroxyketone, followed by a dehydration to give a conjugated enone. By using reactive distillation (RD), one can improve the selectivity toward the intermediate or final product depending on the type of catalyst used and by continuously removing the desired product from the reaction zone.

Reactive Distillation: Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85433
