| A compound, such as ethanoyl chloride or ethanoic anhydride, capable of replacing a hydrogen atom with an ethanoyl group, -COCH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}. For example, ethanol, CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}2{TAG}OH, is ethanoylated to form ethyl ethanoate, CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}2{TAG}OCOCH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}. The hydrogen atoms that can be replaced are typically those attached to oxygen atoms in alcohols or phenols or to nitrogen atoms in amines. The last reaction, as in the simplest case of CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}NH{TAG(tag=>sub)}2{TAG} being converted to CH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}NHCOCH{TAG(tag=>sub)}3{TAG}, is useful for the protection of amine groups during amino acid synthesis (See protecting group). |
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