Abstract
Aqueous starfruit juice catalyzed a simple and efficient Knoevenagel condensation of aromatic aldehydes
with malononitrile has been developed under visible light. Products were obtained in
yields up to 98% after short reaction times and they were isolated by simple filtration in pure
crystallization states. The method is green and economically viable. A plausible mechanism for
photochemical Knoevenagel condensation reaction catalyzed by starfruit juice was also predicted.