Editing Locant (section)

===Enols and enolates===
The α-carbon is important for [[enol]]- and [[enolate]]-based [[carbonyl]] chemistry as well. Chemical transformations affected by the conversion to either an enolate or an enol, in general, lead to the α-carbon acting as a [[nucleophile]], becoming, for example, [[alkylated]] in the presence of primary [[haloalkane]]. An exception is in reaction with [[silyl]] [[chlorosilane|chlorides]], [[bromide]]s, and [[iodide]]s, where the [[oxygen]] acts as the nucleophile to produce [[silyl enol ether]].