2-(Acetoxyethyl)-6,7-dichloro-2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxy-1H-inden-1-one (5.8 gm, 0.0191 mole), potassium carbonate (3.97 gm, 0.0287 mole), methyl bromoacetate (3.52 gm, 0.023 mole) in dry N,N-dimethylformamide (35 ml) were stirred and heated at 60° C. for 3 hours. The mixture was cooled and poured into a mixture of water and ice containing hydrochloric acid. The resulting mixture was extracted with a mixture of ether and tetrahydrofuran then methylene chloride. The combined organic extracts were washed with water, then with brine and finally dried over MgSO4. Evaporation of the solvent gave 6.9 gm of residue which was purified by column chromatography using silica (300 gm) and eluting with a 50/1 mixture of methylene chloride and tetrahydrofuran. Combining the appropriate fractions and evaporating the solvent gave 3.3 gm of product, m.p. 111°-113° C.
