This paper describes a series of alkylidene cyanoacetic esters, ReC= C (CN) COOR, prepared by condensing ten simple ketones with methyl cyanoacetate. Several unsaturated cyano esters of this type have been prepared previously by the Knoevenagel reaction, with secondary amines such as piperidine'and diethylamine2 as catalysts. Sodium ethoxide3 and the zinc chlorideaniline complex4 have also been employed as condensing agents.
