Reaction of N-chloroamines with carbanions derived from ethyl acetoacetate and diethyl malonate

Carbanions derived from ethyl 3-oxobutanoate and diethyl malonate reacted with an equimolar amount of N-chloro-N-ethylethanamine, N-chloromorpholine, or N-chloropiperidine to give diethyl 2,3-diacetylbutanedioate and tetraethyl ethane-1,1,2,2-tetracarboxylate in 68–83% yield. The possibility of heterocoupling of ethyl 3-oxobutanoate and diethyl malonate carbanions by the action of N-chloro-N-ethylethanamine and the effect of the molar reactant ratio on the selectivity of oxidative homo- and heterocoupling were studied.