Q60E

Question


Ethyl dimethyl acetoacetate reacts instantly at room temperature when treated with ethoxide ion to yield two products, ethyl acetate, and ethyl 2-methyl propanoate. Propose a mechanism for this cleavage reaction.


Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer

The proper mechanism of cleavage reaction is mentioned below.

1Retro-Claisen condensation

Retro-Claisen condensation is a reverse reaction of Claisen condensation in which a 𝛃-keto ester on reacting with an excess of the strong base which causes the fragmentation of the compound into ester products.

2The mechanism: