On the Michael Addition of Water to α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones Using Amino Acids

The use of water as a nucleophile for Michael additions is still a challenge in organic chemistry. In this report we describe the use of amino acids as catalysts for the Michael addition of water to α,β‐unsaturated ketones. All 20 proteinogenic amino acids were screened and L‐lysine was identified as the best candidate. To obtain a better insight and to determine the minimum requirements of the catalyst, several structurally related compounds were tested. The reaction was characterized in terms of conditions and equilibrium.