Ketene dimethyl acetal → Ethyl (3,3-dimethoxycyclobutylidene)acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 3.93 g (44.59 mmol) of 1,1-dimethoxyethene and 5 g (44.59 mmol) of ethyl buta-2,3-dienoate in 50 ml of toluene was heated at reflux and stirred for 24 h. After cooling to room temperature, the reaction mixture was freed from the solvent, and the crude product obtained was purified chromatographically on silica gel (mobile phase cyclohexane/ethyl acetate 20:1). This gave 1.9 g (21% of theory) of the title compound as a colourless liquid which was used without further characterization for subsequent reactions.

Provenance & Evidence