In view of the possibility of saponification of the ficarbethoxyacetophenone during reduction in alkaline medium, the free acid was reduced in alkaline medium at a constant reference potential with the resultant excellent yield of the pinacol. Treatment of the pinacol with ethanol and sulfuric acid yielded 2, 3-bis-(p-carbethoxyphenyl)-2, 3-butanediol.
![Propanedioic acid, 2-(acetylamino)-2-[(2,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]-,1,3-diethyl ester结构式](https://image.chemsrc.com/caspic/073/5472-72-0.png)