Graphite Oxide as an Auto-Tandem Oxidation-Hydration-Aldol Coupling Catalyst

Graphite oxide (GO) was found to function as an auto-tandem oxidation-hydration-aldol coupling catalyst for the formation of chalcones in a single reaction vessel. Various alkynes or alcohols were hydrated or oxidized in situ to their corresponding methyl ketones or aldehydes, respectively, which underwent a subsequent Claisen-Schmidt condensation. Each of the aforementioned reactions proceeded in the absence of metals (confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS) and afforded a range of chalcone products in good to excellent yields from commercially available starting materials.