1,1-Diethoxyethylene can be used as a pharmaceutical synthesis intermediate, such as in the preparation of the compound (3-[1,3]dioxolane-2-yl-4-fluoro-phenyl)-(8-nitro-quinoline-7-yl)-methanol. The specific steps are as follows: Magnesium (983 mg, 40.5 mmol) is suspended in anhydrous THF (30 ml). 1,2-Dibromoethane (0.17 ml, 2.02 mmol) is added, and the solution is stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes. 1,1-Diethoxyethylene (3.2 g, 1.295 mmol) is added dropwise, and the mixture is heated at 40 °C for 2 hours. After cooling to room temperature, Grignard reagent (0.43 M; 28.6 ml) is added at 0 °C to the anhydrous THF (30 ml) suspension of 8-nitroquinoline-7-carboxaldehyde 204 (2.5 g, 1.28 mmol).
