Chemistry of tetra-alkoxyethenes. Part V. Thermal cycloadditions with carbonyl compounds

Abstract

Heating tetra-alkoxyethenes with α-oxo-nitriles leads to cycloaddition products, viz. 3,3,4,4-tetra-alkoxyoxetan-2-carbonitriles (16), which can be converted into 2,2-dialkoxy-3-cyano-3-hydroxy-carboxylic esters (17) by acetolysis, and subsequently into α-acyl-αα-dialkoxyacetates (18) by treatment with alkali.