Summary: On acylation with various acyl chlorides Meldrum's acid, 2.2-dimethyl-1, 3- dioxane-4, 6-dione, gave the corresponding acyl Meldrum's acids, which readily underwent alcholysis with methanol, ethanol, tert-butyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, and trichloroethanol to give various (3-keto esters; the acyl Meldrum's acids can be regarded as a synthetic equivalent of mixed diketenes.