Subsequent to the first description of the Knoevenagel reaction, changes were introduced using pyridine as the solvent and piperidine as the catalyst, which was named the Doebner Modification (Doebner, 1900). The Henry reaction is another variation of the Knoevenagel condensation that utilises compounds with an -nitro active methylene (Henry, 1895). The
general mechanism for the Knoevenagel reaction, which involves deprotonation of the malonate derivative (6) by piperidine (5) and attack by the formed carbanion (8) on the carbonyl subunit (9) as an aldol reaction that forms the product (10) of the addition step is illustrated in Fig. 2. After the proton transfer step between the protonated base (7) and
compound (10), intermediate (11) forms and is then deprotonated to (12), which forms the elimination product (13) in the last step.
elimination product (13) in the last step.