Decarboxylation
Decarboxylation
Formula
RCOOH → RH + CO₂
Real World
During bread baking, yeast's pyruvate decarboxylase removes CO₂ from pyruvic acid — this is the same reaction Fleischmann's yeast relies on to make dough rise.
Exam Focus
For β-keto acid decarboxylation, show the cyclic six-membered transition state with intramolecular hydrogen transfer for full mechanism marks.
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