Enol

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In organic chemistry, enols are a type of functional group or intermediate in organic chemistry. Formally, enols are derivatives of vinyl alcohol, with a C=C−OH connectivity. The term enol is an abbreviation of alkenol, a portmanteau deriving from "-ene"/"alkene" and "-ol"/"alcohol". Keto–enol tautomerism refers to a chemical equilibrium between a "keto" form (a carbonyl, named for the common ketone case) and an enol. The tautomeric interconversion involves hydrogen atom movement and the reorganisation of bonding electrons. Many kinds of enols are known, but very few are stable compounds. However, deprotonation of organic carbonyls gives enolate anions, which are important in organic reaction strategies as a strong nucleophile.

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