Abstract As part of our investigation of intramolecular phenolic coupling reactions we required a series of diesters of the general structure, 5 1. Since esters of γ-hydroxybutyric acid have been prepared by acid2 or base3 catalyzed alcoholysis of γ-butyrolactone, it appeared that the desired esters might be prepared by alcoholysis of the lactone with a benzyloxide followed by trapping the new alkoxide, 1, with an acyl chloride. However, ...
