Diethyl Oxalate → Diethyl 2-oxo-3-propylsuccinate

Participants

Reaction Steps

At room temperature, a mixture of pentanoic acid ethyl ester (0.4 mol) and diethyl oxalate (compound 11 in Scheme 1) (73.1 g, 0.5 mol) is added to a solution of NaOEt (32.7 g, 0.48 mol) in EtOH (250 ml). The mixture is stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and EtOH is distilled away. The residue is then purified by vacuum distillation, which provides the product (120) as a clear oil.

Provenance & Evidence