Summary Sodium methoxide has been used to effect the acetoacetic ester type of condensation of several methyl esters. Procedures have been described for the self condensation of methyl propionate and of methyl n-butyrate to give good yields of p- ketoesters without the use of very large excesses of the esters. It has been found possible to effect satisfactory syntheses of methyl a-benzoylpropionate and of methyl a-benzoyl-n- ...
