Question

The first student recognizes this as the first step of the acetoacetic ester synthesis. he treats the starting material with sodium methoxide followed by methyl iodide. he isolates compound a, but 1h nmr analysis shows this is not the desired material. elemental analysis shows it has the same molecular formula as the 2-methyl-3-oxobutanoic acid. what is compound a?

Answer 1

The compound A isolated in the acetoacetic ester synthesis is 2-methyl-3-oxobutanoic acid. The 1H NMR analysis showed it is not the desired material.

Step-by-step explanation:

The compound A that was isolated in the acetoacetic ester synthesis is 2-methyl-3-oxobutanoic acid. Even though the molecular formula is the same as the desired product, the 1H NMR analysis indicated that compound A is not the desired material. The acetoacetic ester synthesis involves the reaction of a ketone or aldehyde with an ester followed by decarboxylation.