enol
Quick Summary
An enol is an organic compound featuring a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon atom that is part of a double bond. This structure is often represented as C=C(OH). Enols are a form of tautomerism, a phenomenon where a compound can exist in two or more interconvertible isomeric forms. Specifically, enols are one form of tautomers, with the other being the keto form.12
In keto-enol tautomerism, a hydrogen atom from the carbon adjacent to a carbonyl group (the alpha carbon) migrates to the carbonyl oxygen. Simultaneously, the double bond shifts to between the alpha carbon and the carbonyl carbon. While the keto form is typically more stable, the equilibrium allows for the existence of both forms, and reactions can occur through the enol structure.2
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aldehydeTautomerism…the α-carbon, while in the enol form it is bonded to the carbonyl oxygen with the migration of the double bond.
Read More…the α-carbon, while in the enol form it is bonded to the carbonyl oxygen with the migration of the double bond.
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acid–base reactionKeto–enol tautomerism, acid- and base-catalyzed(or aldehydes) and their enol forms, which contain a hydroxyl group directly attached to a doubly bonded carbon atom:
Read More(or aldehydes) and their enol forms, which contain a hydroxyl group directly attached to a doubly bonded carbon atom:
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