Efficient catalysis of a Diels-Alder reaction by metallo-vesicles in aqueous solution.

Vesicles have been prepared from a cyclic phosphate ester (5,5-di-n-dodecyl-2-hydroxy-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinan-2-one) with copper(II) counterions (Cu(dDP)(2)). They form a highly efficient aqueous Lewis acid catalyst system. The reaction of two azachalcon derivatives (1a, 1b) with cyclopentadiene (2) was studied to elucidate the catalytic potential of this system.