A cyclic diene, 9, 10-dimethylene-1, 7-dioxacyclohendecane-2, 6-dione, that possesses two ester groups in an eleven-membered ring was prepared by ester interchange between 2, 3- di-(hydroxymethyl)-1, 3-butadiene and dimethyl glutarate. The dienediol was prepared in four steps from malonic ester in an over-all yield of 22%, based on unrecovered material. The bimalonic ester was, in effect, reductively acetylated with lithium aluminum hydride ...
