Darzens Reaction

Darzens reaction (also known as the Darzens condensation or glycidic ester condensation) is the chemical reaction of a carbonyl compounds (ketone or aldehyde) with an α-haloester to form α,β-epoxy esters.

Mechanism of Darzens Reaction

Stereochemistry of Darzens Reaction depending on the specific structures involved, the epoxide may exist in cis- and trans- forms. A specific reaction may give only cis-, only trans-, or a mixture of the two. The specific stereochemical outcome of the reaction is affected by several aspects of the intermediate steps. Before SN₂ reaction is controlled by Kinetics while after SN₂ reaction is controlled by Thermodynamics.

Applications of Darzens Reaction