What are enols and enolates?

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Answer 1 · 2016-05-22T20:52:54

An enol is a tautomer of a carbonyl compound; the enolate is its anion.

Ketones typically undergo tautomerism to give an enol:

#H_3C-C(=O)CH_3 rightleftharpoons H_2C=C(-OH)CH_3#

The enol may be deprotonated to give an enolate:

#H_2C=C(-OH)CH_3 +" Base"rarr H_2C=C(-O^-)CH_3 + "Base"H^+#

This is the enolate form; this is conceived to be in equilibrium with the carbanion:

#H_2C=C(-O^-)CH_3 rightleftharpoons H_2^(-)C-C(=O)CH_3#

Enolates and carbanions are habitually used in organic chemistry to form #C-C# bonds.