Sodium methoxide is a very basic solid that catalyzes many reactions (i.e. condensations, dehydrohalogenations) and acts as a nucleophile in SN2 reactions. It is a flammable solid that can combust at 70-80° C. In this reaction, sodium methoxide deprotonated a hydrogen in the first step in the epimerization reaction.
Sodium Methoxide. e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis [online]; Wiley & Sons, Posted September 15, 2006.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/047084289X.rs089m.pub2/abstract (accessed Mar 28, 2014)
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University of Michigan Chem 215/216 HH Winter 2014. Nicholas Carducci's Structured Study Group. HTML Project of Callie Chappell, James Lawniczak, Aiman Faruqi, and Ryan Gentil