Wehave reported a two-step method for the alkylation of diethyl 3-oxoglutarate (DEOG), in which the first alkylation took place regioselectively at one of the methylene carbons, with Mg(OEt)2 as the base. The second alkylation regioselectively occurred with NaH as the base.1'2* This alkylation with alkyl monohalides has been used for synthesizing biologically active compounds such as insect pheromones3) and prostaglandin analogs,40 thus indicating the potential desirability of DEOGas a synthetic material.In the expansion of the use of DEOGas a synthetic reagent, we now report the alkylation of DEOGwith a,codibromoalkanes and Mg(OEt)2.Alkylation was done by treatment of DEOGwith a dibromoalkane in the presence of Mg(OEt)2 in ethanol. A 1.5 molar ratio of Mg(OEt)2 to DEOGwas used this time because of its significance in the regioselective alkylation of DEOGwith alkyl monohalides
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