Three compounds containing two β-keto ester units and one containing three were obtained in good yields from sebacyl, terepthaloyl, isophthaloyl, and trimesoyl chlorides. In this one pot procedure the acid chlorides were first treated with ethyl acetoacetate and barium oxide and then with ethyl alcohol. The aliphatic ester exists mainly as keto ester with a very small amount of the enol tautomer. In the case of aromatic esters, all possible tautomers were ...
