Diethyl oxomalonate (1) and ethyl, methyl, and benzyl glyoxylates (2a, b, c) are useful reagents in organic chemistry. The a-keto ester functionality of all of these compounds is quite reactive and participates in electrocyclic processes (Diels-Alder reaction: ene reaction3) and various condensations (ald~ l,~ carbinolamine f~ rmation,~ Friedel-Crafts reaction, 6 and Wittig reaction2e). Recently several new methods have been developed ...
[Lawson, Edward C.; Santulli, Rosemary J.; Dyatkin, Alexey B.; Ballentine, Scott A.; Abraham, William M.; Rudman, Sandra; Page, Clive P.; de Garavilla, Lawrence; Damiano, Bruce P.; Kinney, William A.; Maryanoff, Bruce E. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2006 , vol. 14, # 12 p. 4208 - 4216]