2-acetoxy-2-methyl-3-butyne

Reaction of PhZnCl with 3-acetoxy-3-methyl-1-butyne (116) gives l-phenyl-3-methyl-1,2-butadiene (119) in high yield [28-30]. The reaction can be explained by transmetallation of the allenylpalladium intermediate 117 with PhZnCl to generate the allenyl(phenyl)palladium intermediate 118, followed by reductive elimination to afford 119. 

If mercury chloride is added to an aqueous solution of the 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol a white mercury derivative is precipitated, and if this is boiled with hydrochloric acid it gives the same 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone as mentioned above.97 With mercury acetate in glacial acetic acid at 75-95° the alkynol gives a 98.5% yield of the acetoxy ketone.98... 

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