De-alcoholation of the a-cyano-orthoesters 111, IV and V with aluminum methoxide yields the corresponding w-cyanoketene acetals VI, VI1 and VIII, exclusively. The alternative cyclic structures of the type of IX were eliminated as possible de-alcoholation products by hydrolysis of VI1 and VI11 to the respective normal esters and by the conversion of VI to carbomethoxycyanomethylketene acetal (X) with chloroformic ester; this reagent converts ...
