Thus far we’ve looked at both thermodynamic and kinetic control in the Aldol Condensation. This is typically where most undergraduate Organic Chemistry professors conclude discussing the reaction. The topic of stereochemistry, however, is left mostly unexamined due to time constraints. The man pictured to the right, Professor Howard Zimmerman (1926-2012), University of Wisconsin – Madison was an exception to this rule. This article takes the Aldol Condensation one step further by discussing one of the most interesting aspects of the reaction. The article is dedicated to Professor Howard Zimmerman, one of my former mentors who helped shape me as a both a scientist and a teacher, and as a person who pursues the meaning in everything through deductive reasoning.
