GENERAL STEPS: EXPERIMENTAL OPERATION: Potassium monoethyl malonate salt (1.00 g, ~5.47 mmol) was taken in a 25 mL round bottom flask, anhydrous magnesium chloride (0.65 g, ~6.84 mmol) and acetonitrile (6 mL) were added, followed by the dropwise addition of triethylamine (0.55 g). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes. Next, a solution of o-chlorobenzoyl chloride (0.48 g, 2.5 mmol) dissolved in acetonitrile (2 mL) was slowly added dropwise and supplemented with triethylamine (0.06 mL), and stirring was continued at room temperature overnight. Post-treatment: after completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was diluted with the addition of water (30 mL) and subsequently extracted with ethyl acetate (30 mL, 20 mL, 20 mL). The ethyl acetate layers were combined, washed with saturated brine and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The dried organic phase was concentrated by rotary evaporation and finally purified by column chromatography (eluent: petroleum ether/ethyl acetate=15:1) to afford the target product (2-chlorobenzoyl)ethyl acetate in 91% yield.
