A Synthesis of α,α-Disubstituted Aryl-β-ketoesters

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1997-3249

A generally applicable synthesis of αα-disubstituted β-ketoesters involving reaction of a substituted benzoyl chloride with methyl trimethylsilyl ketene acetal is described. Addition of boron trifluoride etherate is essential when the benzoyl chloride is not substituted with a strongly electron withdrawing residue. The majority of experiments were conducted with the dimethylketene acetal but the process is equally applicable to the cyclohexaneketene acetal 5.