Chapter 8: The Claisen Condensation and Applications in Synthesis
In Chapter 6, we discussed aldol reaction/condensation, the reaction between the enolate of aldehydes or ketones with the carbonyl group of aldehydes or ketones. The α hydrogens in carboxylic esters are also rather acidic, with pKa in the range of about 25. Here we will explore the reaction of ester enolate, specifically the condensation of ester enolate with the carbonyl group in ester, which is called the Claisen Condensation.
