Diethyl a-hydroxy-P-fluoroglutarate (IV) was obtained in good yields by reduction of diethyl a- oxo-@-fluoroglutarate (111) with potassium borohydride. IIonofluorolactic acid (VI) was prepared from 4-fluoromet hyl-2, 2'-diniet hyl-2, 3-dioxalane, which upon acidic hydrolysis yields l-fluoropropane-2, 3-diol. This intermediate was oxidized to fluorolactic acid with nitric acid. A similar reaction route. was previously described by Bergniann18 except conditions ...