When the product of an aldol addition is dehydrated, the overall reaction is called an aldol condensation.
- Unlike alcohols that can be dehydrated only under acidic conditions, β-hydroxyaldehydes and β-hydroxyketones can also be dehydrated under basic conditions.
- Reaction proceeds via E1cB ,a two-step elimination reaction that forms a carbanion intermediate.
An aldol condensation forms
an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde or
an α,β-unsaturated ketone, called enones.
