is a powerful means of forming carbon–carbon bonds in organic chemistry.[1][2][3] Discovered independently by Charles-Adolphe Wurtzand Alexander Borodin in 1872,[7] the reaction combines two carbonyl compounds (the original experiments used aldehydes) to form a new β-hydroxy carbonyl compound. These products are known as aldols, from the aldehyde + alcohol, a structural motif seen in many of the products. Aldol structural units are found in many important molecules, whether naturally occurring or synthetic.[8][9][10] For example, the aldol reaction has been used in the large-scale production of the commodity chemical pentaerythritol[11] and the synthesis of the heart disease drug Lipitor (atorvastatin, calcium salt)