Chapter 6: Reaction at the α-Carbon of Carbonyl Compounds

In Chapter 2, we saw that there are three reactivity centers of the carbonyl compounds. While the discussions in Chapter 2 focus on the reaction of the carbonyl group, in this chapter we will explore the acidity of hydrogen atoms on the carbon atom adjacent to the carbonyl group in aldehydes and ketones. The carbon adjacent to the carbonyl group is called α-carbon, and the hydrogen atoms on α-carbon are called the α-hydrogens.