N-Tosyl-(Sa)-binam-L-prolinamide as highly efficient bifunctional organocatalyst for the general enantioselective solvent-free aldol reaction

N-Tosyl-(Sa)-binam-L-prolinamide (5 mol%) and benzoic acid (1 mol%) were used as catalysts in the enantioselective direct aldol reaction between different ketones and aldehydes under solvent-free conditions in the presence or absence of water. Under this reaction conditions it was possible to reduce the amount of required ketone to 2 equiv to give the corresponding aldol products with high yields, regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The aldol reaction between aldehydes or the intramolecular aldol reaction can be also performed with excellent results.This work was financially supported by the Dirección General de Investigación of the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain (Proyects CTQ2007-62771/BQU and Consolider Ingenio 2010 CSD2007-00006), and the University of Alicante (GRJ06-05)