Take Note
  • Aldehydes, ketones, and other carbonyl-containing functional groups undergo reactions at their alpha (α)-carbon.
  • They undergo tautomerization to a small extent to form enols.  Enols are nucleophiles and behave much like alkenes.
  • Enolates are the conjugate base of an aldehyde or ketone that results upon deprotonation of an α-hydrogen.  Enolates are carbanions and therefore behave like nucleophiles.

 

 

Recall the Imatinib synthesis we saw earlier this semester.  In green below is what's known as a Claisen condensation, a reaction you will learn to master soon.