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An enol is a compound with a hydroxyl group (-OH) and a double bond (-C=C-) in adjacent carbon atoms. An enolate is the anion formed by deprotonation of an enol.
Enols and enolates are important intermediates in organic chemistry reactions. Enols are formed by tautomerization of carbonyl compounds, where the double bond shifts to the adjacent carbon atom and a hydroxyl group is formed. Enols are unstable and readily react with electrophiles, such as alkyl halides, to form new carbon-carbon bonds.
Enolates are formed by deprotonation of an enol. The resulting anion has a negative charge on the oxygen atom and is stabilized by resonance. Enolates are strong nucleophiles and can react with electrophiles to form new carbon-carbon bonds. Enolates can also be used as bases in acid-base reactions, where they can abstract a proton from a molecule to form a new double bond.
One example of an enol is vinyl alcohol, which has a hydroxyl group and a double bond in adjacent carbon atoms. However, vinyl alcohol is unstable and rapidly tautomerizes to acetaldehyde. Another example is 2-propen-1-ol, which has a hydroxyl group and a double bond in adjacent carbon atoms.
An example of an enolate is the enolate of acetone, which is formed by deprotonation of the alpha-carbon. The resulting anion has a negative charge on the oxygen atom and is stabilized by resonance. The enolate of acetone can react with electrophiles, such as alkyl halides, to form new carbon-carbon bonds.
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