Triflimide (HNTf2)-catalyzed aldehyde cross-aldol reaction using super silyl enol ethers

The synthesis of the acetaldehyde-derived tris(trimethylsilyl) silyl (super silyl) enol ether is described, as well as its use in the high-yielding aldehyde cross-aldol reaction. The super silyl enol ether shows unprecedented reactivity in giving the 1:1 adduct in very high yield. This reaction is catalyzed by 0.05 mol% of the Bronsted acid triflimide (HNTf2) and is complete within 15 min, making the protocol very attractive for large-scale synthesis.