Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Chemistry LibreTexts

Tautomers

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Tautomers are constitutional isomers that differ from each other in the locations of a hydrogen atom and one or more double bonds and interconvert rapidly.

If the hypothetical compounds A and B are tautomers and if, say, A forms as the product in a reaction, some of it is spontaneously and rapidly converted to B, some of which is converted back to A, instantaneously establishing equilibrium between A and B. Thus, there is no independent existence of either A or B.

eg. 1:

tautomers1.png

eg. 2:

tautomers2.png

eg. 3:

tautomers3.png

see also tautomerism, tautomerization


This page titled Tautomers is shared under a All Rights Reserved (used with permission) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gamini Gunawardena via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

  • Was this article helpful?

Support Center

How can we help?