A Guidebook to Mechanism in Organic Chemistry

Carbanions and Their Reactions

H H

</ O O

-*• I II -> II

Me—C C=0 Me—C C==0 Me—C—CH,+ CO,

(XL1X)

Confirmation of this mode of decarboxylation of the free acid has been
obtained by 'trapping' the acetone-enol intermediaHWfXLIX).