Why is anhydride reactive?
1 Answer
Mar 29, 2017
They are good targets for attack by nucleophiles due to the presence of the acyl groups....
Explanation:
Mainly it is down to the presence of the two acyl groups, both of which have high polarity. The electronegativity of the oxygen atoms in the acyl groups makes the carbon atoms susceptible to attack by nucleophiles. Acyl chlorides are reactive for the same reason, although anhydrides tend to be lower cost and therefore preferable for use in synthesis.
