Because lactic acid has both hydroxyl and carboxylic groups in the same molecule, intermolecular esterification can easily occur giving oligolactates. One way to solve this problem was to use a protecting group strategy. Early synthesis of alkyl lactyllactates was from the reaction of potassium lactate and ethyl 2-chloropropionate. However, this method was complicated and inconvenient. A better synthesis was later developed by Claborn using alcoholysis of ...
