Base-catalyzed aldol- and Michael-type condensations in aqueous media

The aldol reaction is one of the most important ways to construct carbon-carbon bonds in organic synthesis. Nature itself seems to prefer this reaction in its biosynthetic processes, for example, in the prebiotic formation of saccharides [1]. Strictly speaking, the aldol reaction is the self-coupling of an aldehyde, having at least one active hydrogen in the α-position, to give a β-hydroxyaldehyde called an aldol (aldol addition), which sometimes dehydrates (aldol condensation).