Certain yield-diminishing side reactions of bromo esters in the Reformatsky reaction have been discussed previously. When ethyl cu-bromopropionate and ethyl a-bromoisobutyrate were used ethyl a-propionylpropionate and ethyl a-isobutyroylisobutyrate were formed in approximately 35 and 69% yields, respectively. When the above bromo esters were allowed to react with zinc alone in benzene the yields of keto esters were 39 and 6SY0, ...
