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Decarboxylation

  • Page ID
    39584
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    Decarboxylation is the removal of carbon dioxide from carboxylic acids.

    decarboxylation1.png

    • R= alkyl, aryl

    Decarboxylation of simple carboxylic acids requires very high temperatures, at which the organic product often decomposes. In contrast, β-ketoacids undergo decarboxylation upon warming.

    eg:

    decarboxylation2.png

    The molecule of a β-ketoacid is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond that creates a six-membered ring, allowing the reaction to occur via a relatively stable, six-membered cyclic transition state.

    decarboxylation3.png

    see also carboxylation


    This page titled Decarboxylation 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; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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