Formaldehyde → 1,3-Diethyl 2-oxopropanedioate

Participants

Reaction Steps

258 g of diethyl methylenemalonate, prepared by a Knoevenagel condensation of malonic ester and formaldehyde, are dissolved in 1 liter of methanol and reacted with ozone, and subsequently hydrogenated, analogously to the procedure indicated in Example 5. 5 g of 10% Pd-on-C in 200 ml of methanol are initially taken as the hydrogenation catalyst. The consumption of hydrogen is 28.9 standard liters (86% of theory). Working up as in Example 5 and rectification in vacuo gives 214 g of diethyl mesoxalate boiling at 110°-112° C./20, corresponding to a yield of 82% of theory.

Provenance & Evidence