Results General. Ethyl diazoacetate by itself is insufficiently nucleophilic to attack carbonyl groups. However, under the influence of base5 or Lewis acid catalysis? produ& arising from addition to the diazo carbon may be obtained. In the latter case the most efficacious reagents are triethyloxonium fluoroborate and antimony pentachloride (the latter in certain circumstances, as considered subsequently). A generally smooth reaction resulh when ...