Pictures of the Day
2-7-2023
Beta-ketoacid Decarboxylation
Beta-ketoacids exist largely in a six-membered ring, hydrogen bonded conformation. Upon heating, the bonds rearrange creating an enol and CO2. The enol tautomerizes to the methyl ketone to complete the reaction. Note how the original hydrogen bond helps set up the molecule for the reaction by fixing the appropriate geometry in a six-membered ring.
