Isomerisations of substituted β-keto-esters - Part II. Isomerisation of ethyl 1-ethoxycarbonyl 2oxocyclopentyl acetate into 2, 3-diethoxycarbonylcyclohexanone

A mechanism for the isomerisation of ethyl 1-ethoxycarbonyl-2-oxocyclopentylacetate (I) into a cyclohexane β-keto-ester as proceeding through an intermediate bicyclic /gb-diketone (VII) has been considered as an alternative mechanism to one earlier suggested.1 The determination of the structure of the isomerised β-keto-ester as 2, 3-diethoxycarbonylcyclohexanone (V) has provided support for the earlier mechanism.