12Oisopropylidene

12Oisopropylidene refers to a specific structural motif within organic chemistry. It describes a molecule or functional group where two oxygen atoms are attached to a central isopropylidene group. The isopropylidene group is a hydrocarbon fragment with the structure (CH3)2C=. Therefore, in the context of 12Oisopropylidene, the two oxygen atoms are bonded to the central carbon atom of this isopropylidene unit. This arrangement typically forms a five-membered ring structure if the oxygen atoms are part of a diol or a related cyclic ether. For example, the protection of a 1,2-diol with acetone under acidic conditions yields a five-membered cyclic acetal or ketal, commonly referred to as an isopropylidene acetal or ketal. This protection strategy is widely employed in organic synthesis to temporarily mask the reactivity of diol functionalities, preventing them from participating in unwanted reactions during subsequent synthetic steps. The resulting isopropylidene acetal is generally stable under neutral and basic conditions but can be readily removed by acidic hydrolysis to regenerate the original diol. The term "12Oisopropylidene" itself is more descriptive of the connectivity rather than a common standalone compound name.