Sodium carbonate as a solid-phase reagent for the generation of acetylketene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.01.008

Reaction of a toluene solution of 3-oxobutanoyl chloride (14) with Na₂CO₃ in the presence of a catalytic amount of triethylamine at -78 °C generates a solution of acetylketene (2), the dimer of which was isolated. Acetylketene (2) was trapped with 2-propanone, 2-propanol, and ethyl vinyl ether.