Enol carbonate

An enol carbonate is an enol derivative whose oxygen bears a carbonate ester group, represented schematically by ${\mathrm{R}}_2\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{CR}-\mathrm{O}-\mathrm{C}(=\mathrm{O})-\mathrm{O}{\mathrm{R}}^{\prime }$. The enol-derived carbon-carbon double bond and the carbonate group are both part of its reactivity.

Masking an enol as a derivative allows its structure and reactions to be controlled separately from those of the parent carbonyl compound. The exact substitution pattern therefore matters when using an enol carbonate in synthesis.