Organic reactions that occur in aqueous media have received growing attention recently and in general eliminate the constraints of inert atmosphere and anhydrous conditions. 1-4 Many organic compounds, however, exhibit only sparing solubility in water. It has been reported that divalent and trivalent metal reagents such as Ca (OH) 2, CaCl2/KOH, or SmCl3/KOH play an important role in the aldol reaction of unprotected ketoses with formaldehyde in ...
