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Claisen condensation template
Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro.
Methyl acetate condenses with itself to methyl acetoacetate (a β-keto ester).
Mechanism step by step
Ester enolate attacks a second ester; methoxide is expelled
- Enolate formation – Base removes an α-H
- Addition – The enolate attacks the second ester
- Elimination – The intermediate expels methoxide
Key points
- The base matches the ester (NaOMe for methyl esters) to avoid exchange.
- Deprotonation of the β-keto ester drives the equilibrium.
- Intramolecular version: the Dieckmann cyclisation.
- Acid work-up gives the neutral β-keto ester.
Drawn with 75 atoms, 10 arrows, 9 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Claisen condensation template free?
You can preview the Claisen condensation template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.
Can I edit the Claisen condensation template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
Which name reactions are included?
Over seventy, covering the reactions most often asked in school-leaving exams (A-level, IB, CBSE, JEE and NEET) and first-year university courses, including condensations, rearrangements, oxidations, reductions and aromatic substitutions.