Sodium carbonate as a solid-phase reagent for the generation of acetylketene

Reaction of a toluene solution of 3-oxobutanoyl chloride (14) with Na2CO3 in the presence of a catalytic amount of triethylamine at 78 degrees C generates a solution of acetylketene (2), the dimer of which was isolated. Acetylketene (2) was trapped with 2-propanone, 2-propanol, and ethyl vinyl ether. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.