Abstract: A new and highly simple method for the synthesis of Eg-aryl-a-oxobutenoic esters is described. This unprecedented one-step procedure is based on an unexpected nucleophilic reactivity of alkyl pyruvates towards aromatic aldehydes in refluxing dichloromethane, when using catalytic amounts of Cu (OTf) 2 and in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of trimethyl orthoformate in the case of electron-rich aldehydes. ...
