Department of Chemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004, Punjab
An environmentally benign, solvent less, rapid and economic technique for the Knoevenagel condensation of cyclic 1, 3- diketones with aromatic aldehydes to afford the monoalkylidene derivatives in excellent yields employing microwave irradiation is described. The products thus obtained have been found to act as active plant growth retardants.
Arylidenes, dimedone, microwave, Meldrum's acid, growth retardants
