destroyer orgo 184

[ryry]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

can someone explain why this reaction produces product B as oppose to E?

Im not sure which alpha hydrogen to attack, the one on the right or left?

Is it because alpha H on the right side is hindered by the ethyl group adjacent to it (so it would be easier to attack alpha H on the left)?

 

[Orgodox]

Yea. You have to pick which H to pull off from either the left side or the right to form the enolate anion. Here the right side is better like you said so when you draw out the mech from there it gets you to B.