Ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate → Diethyl 2-acetyl-2-methyloctanedioate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate (7.9 g, 60 mmol) was added to a stirred solution of 1.44 g of sodium hydride (60 mmol) in 80 mL of toluene over a 30 minutes period. The resulting solution was heated under reflux for two hours, cooled slightly and treated with ethyl 5-bromohexanoate over a 30 minutes period. The resulting mixture was then heated at reflux for twelve hours, cooled, and the solvent evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue, a yellow oil was used as such in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence