Cool Chemistry: Turning Esters into Alkanes with a Helping Hand
Imagine you have some esters, and you want to turn them into alkanes. It might sound like a tough job, but scientists have found a clever way to do this using a helper called cobalt. This isn't just any helper; it's a well-defined cobalt catalyst that can work wonders with just a tiny bit of base and a special ingredient called diethylsilane. Here's what makes this ...