There are copious amounts of citric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid avail, but not fuming sulfuric acid. Being that making fuming slufuric acid is a very nasty process, I happened to note that the method described here for ketoglutaric acid http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv1p0010 (http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv1p0010)
says that:
""3. Discussion
Acetonedicarboxylic acid can be prepared from citric acid by the action of concentrated2 or fuming sulfuric acid""
So anyone have any comments on why conc H2SO4 can also work? Also, in the Findlay's "Cocenrning 2-carbomethoxytropinone" it states that the dimethyl-b-ketoglutamate is formed in this reaction, yet Org Syn link says that the free acid is formed, which is it? Thanx!
Acetonedicarboxylic acid = Beta-ketoglutaric acid (not "b-ketoglutamate")
H2SO4 = Sulfuric Acid (not "slufuric acid")
Also, in the Findlay's "Cocenrning 2-carbomethoxytropinone" it states that the dimethyl-b-ketoglutamate is formed in this reaction, yet Org Syn link says that the free acid is formed, which is it?
Taken from Post 436988 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=12539.msg43698800#msg43698800)
(Rhodium: "Findlay's 2-carbomethoxytropinone synthesis", Serious Chemistry)
Dimethyl beta-ketoglutarate
Powdered, anhydrous citric acid (192 g., 1.00 mole), m.p. 153°, was added in 32-g. portions to fuming sulfuric acid (383 g., 202 ml., 21%) with stirring, the first two cautiously at 0° and the other four at 15-20° during 1.5 hrs. The mixture was stirred 1 hr. at 25°, 3 at 35°, and 17 at 25°. To the stirred, yellow mixture absolute methanol (500 ml.) was added dropwise at -5 to 0° (3 hrs.). The mixture was kept 13-20 hrs. at 25° and added to a stirred mixture of sodium bicarbonate (700 g.), ice (500 g.), and water (200 g.). The precipitated salts were immediately filtered off and washed with 50% aqueous methanol (150 ml.). The slightly alkaline yellow filtrates were extracted with ether (7x400 ml.), the extracts dried (Na2SO4), and the solvent removed on the water bath and then in vacuo. The residual oil, which contained some water, was distilled in vacuo [...]
Do you notice any procedural steps in Findlay's procedure which is not present in the procedure in Organic Syntheses?