Acetyl acetone

Acetylacetone is an organic compound with the formula CH₃COCH₂COCH₃. It is a colorless liquid, classified as a 1,3-diketone. It exists in equilibrium with a tautomer CH₃C(O)CH=C(OH)CH₃. These tautomers interconvert so rapidly under most conditions that they are treated as a single compound in most applications. It is a colorless liquid that is a precursor to acetylacetonate anion (commonly abbreviated acac⁻), a bidentate ligand. It is also a building block for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds.