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

[GRAPHICS] Vesicles have been prepared from a cyclic phosphate ester (5,5-di-n-dodecyl -2-hydroxy-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinan-2-one) with copper(ll) counterions (Cu(d DP)(2)). They form a highly efficient aqueous Lewis acid catalyst system. T he reaction of two azachalcon derivatives (la, Ib) with cyclopentadiene (2) was studied to elucidate the catalytic potential of this system.