The asymmetric aldol reaction is one of the most efficient processes for the synthesis of optically active β-hydroxy carbonyl compounds which are important intermediates in organic synthesis. Among them, the direct asymmetric aldol reaction between an aldehyde and an unmodified ketone is the most efficient and attractive from the point of atom-economy. 1. and 2. Recently, the commercially available amino acid l-proline has been elegantly used to catalyze the ...