The keto-enol tautomerism of 3-chloro-pentane-2,4-dione (ClPD) was studied in aqueous micellar solutions of cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfactants. The enol of ClPD tautomerizes rapidly in water to the equilibrium proportions of the keto form, K E = 0.55; whereas the keto-enol conversion of 3-ethyl-pentane-2,4-dione (EPD) is a much slower reaction than the enol nitrosation. Kinetics of enol -nitrosation of both ClPD and EPD in aqueous acid medium using nitrous acid shows first-order dependence upon [ketone] and linear or curve relationships of the observed rate constant, k o , as a function of [nitrite] or [H + ]; the observed behavior depends on the molecular structure of diketone and varies with the experimental conditions. The reaction is strongly catalyzed by Cl − , Br − , or SCN − , and the observed rate constant shows a curve dependence on [Br − ] or [SCN − ], which is more pronounced at high acidity. The results are consistent with a reaction mechanism in which the nitrosation occurs initially on the enol-oxygen and releasing a proton to form a chelate-nitrosyl complex intermediate in steady state. Fine differences on the mechanistic spectrum of enols nitrosation are considered on the basis of the molecular structure of the diketone. C