In view of the fact that certain compounds containing active methylene groups are rapidly halogenated by alkali hypohalites,'it became a matter of interest to determine what course the reaction would take in the case of P-diketones of the type IICOCH2COCH3 which contain both an active methylene group and an active methyl group. It was to be expected that if R is an aryl group carrying suitable ortho substituents, the chain scission at the ...
