Held synthesized the acid from ethyl chlor-acetoacetate (from chlorine and acetoacetic ester) by heating with potassium cyanide and saponifying the resulting nitrile.
Perkin, junr., in 1883, that ethylene and trimethylene bromides are capable of acting in such a way on sodium acetoacetic ester as to form triand tetramethylene rings.
We may here mention the synthesis of oxyuvitic ester (5-methyl-4-oxy-I-3-benzene dicarboxylic ester) by the condensation of two molecules of sodium acetoacetic ester with one of chloroform (Ann., 1883, 222, p. 249).
It combines with acetoacetic ester to form the aromatic compound meta-oxyuvitic acid, C 6 11 2 CH 3 OH (Cooh) 2.
Acetoacetic ester is a most important synthetic reagent, having been used in the production of pyridines, quinolines, pyrazolones, furfurane, pyrrols, uric acid, and many complex acids and ketones.