In Eschenmoser-Tanabe Fragmentation, the conversion of α,β-epoxyketones to acetylenic aldehydes or ketones with p-toluenesulfonylhydrazine in the presence of bases (like pyridine, NaHCO3, or Na2CO3 etc.) under moderate conditions takes place. This conversion is also known as Eschenmoser fragmentation or Eschenmoser-Tanabe ring cleavage reaction.
Mechanism of Eschenmoser-Tanabe Fragmentation
The possible mechanism is given below-