Decarboxylation, of enanthylsuccinic

The submitters state that ethyl enanthylsuccinate can be hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to 7-oxocapric acid. The reaction is carried out by heating 57 g. of the keto ester with a solution of 140 ml. of concentrated sulfuric acid in 250 ml. of water. The mixture is stirred while the ethanol is removed gradually by distillation over a period of 3 hours. The acid is taken up in benzene, extracted from the benzene with aqueous alkali, and liberated from the alkaline solution by acidification with concentrated hydrochloric acid. After recrystallization from 50% ethanol about 29 g. (78% yield) of 7-oxocapric acid is obtained as colorless crystals, m.p. 69-70°. 

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