How Does Deprotonation Affect Reaction Mechanisms?
Deprotonation can influence reaction mechanisms in multiple ways:
It can activate substrates by making them more nucleophilic or electrophilic. It can stabilize transition states, lowering the activation energy of a reaction. It can generate reactive intermediates that facilitate bond formation or cleavage.
For example, in aldol reactions, deprotonation of an aldehyde or ketone forms an enolate, which is crucial for the subsequent carbon-carbon bond-forming step.
