Methyl isobuterate

In the absence of monomer, GTP catalysts are destroyed by the initiator. A one to one molar mixture of bifluoride and MTS, for example produces methyl isobuterate, trimethylsilylfluoride, trimethylsilylmethoxide, methyl 2,2,4-trimethyl-3-oxopentanoate, and other oligomers [19, 26]. Seebach has shown that ester enolates generate ketenes at room temperature [27] (Scheme 16). These reactions support the dissociative mechanism wherein... 

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