Diethyl Oxalate → Ethyl 2,4-dioxo-4-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)butanoate

Reaction equation

[CH3:1][C:2]1[CH:7]=[C:6]([CH3:8])[CH:5]=[C:4]([CH3:9])[C:3]=1[C:10](=[O:12])[CH3:11].[C:13](OCC)(=[O:19])[C:14]([O:16][CH2:17][CH3:18])=[O:15].[H-].[Na+]>C1(C)C=CC=CC=1>[O:19]=[C:13]([CH2:11][C:10](=[O:12])[C:3]1[C:4]([CH3:9])=[CH:5][C:6]([CH3:8])=[CH:7][C:2]=1[CH3:1])[C:14]([O:16][CH2:17][CH3:18])=[O:15]

Participants

Procedure

To a solution of 2', 4', 6'-trimethylacetophenone (15 g, 92.6 mmol) and diethyl oxalate (20 g, 139 mmol) in 500 mL of anhydrous toluene was cautiously added 7.4 g of NaH (60% dispersion in mineral oil). The reaction mixture was slowly heated to reflux under N2. It was refluxed for about 20 minutes, then cooled, poured into ice-cold aqueous HCl solution, and extracted with ether. The extracts were washed with brine, dried over Na2SO4, filtered through a short silica gel pad and concentrated to give 16.2 g of a red oil which was used in the next reaction without further purification.