New way for the preparation of 4-phenyl-2-oxobutyric acid ethyl ester 1 has been elaborated. The four-steps synthesis from ethyl pyruvate involves the consecutive condensation of ethyl pyruvate with benzaldehyde, hydrogenation of benzylidenepyruvic acid sodium salt 2a to 4-phenyl-2-hydroxybutyric acid 3 on Ni catalysts, esterification of 3 and oxidation of the ester to 1 with CrO3.
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Slavinska et al. (1996) studied this question.
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