The goal of this project is to investigate the formation and reaction [BW1] of zinc enolates in aqueous media and the possibility for synthetic applications. Aqueous reactions are more inexpensive, benign, and environmentally friendly than harsh organic solvents such as toluene. The aqueous Reformatsky reaction was used as a baseline with various surfactants explored as a method to increase yield. Different esters were synthesized and used to determine the effect of increased size and hydrophobicity on the course of reaction. Data was collected and analyzed using <sup>1</sup>H NMR. This presentation will cover the investigations of surfactants, additives, and reagent structure, as well as additional applications of zinc enolates.

Investigating the reactions of zinc enolates in aqueous solutions

255th National Meeting (2018)

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