A. Glyoxylic acid p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone. A solution of 46.3 g. (0.50 mole) of 80% glyoxylic acid (Note 1) in 500 ml. of water is placed in a 1-l. Erlenmeyer flask and warmed on a steam bath to approximately 60°. This solution is then treated with a warm (approximately 60°) solution of 93.1 g. (0.50 mole) of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (Note 2) in 250 ml. (0.63 mole) of aqueous 2.5M hydrochloric acid. The resulting mixture is heated on a steam bath with continuous stirring until all the hydrazone, which initially separates as an oil, has solidified (about 5 minutes is required). After the reaction mixture has been allowed cool to room temperature and then allowed to stand in a refrigerator overnight, the crude p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone is collected on a filter, washed with cold water, and allowed to dry for 2 days (Note 3). The crude product (110–116 g., m.p. 145–149° dec.) is dissolved in 400 ml. of boiling ethyl acetate, filtered to remove any insoluble material, and then diluted with 800 ml. of carbon tetrachloride and allowed to cool. After the mixture has been allowed to stand overnight in a refrigerator, the p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone is collected and washed with cold mixture of ethyl acetate and carbon tetrachloride (1:2 by volume). The yield is 92.4–98.5 g. (76–81%) of the hydrazone as white crystals, m.p. 148–154° dec. (Note 4).

B. The p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone of glyoxylic acid chloride. Caution! Since hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide are liberated during this reaction, it should be conducted in a hood. To a suspension of 50.2 g. (0.21 mole) of glyoxylic acid p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone in 250 ml. of benzene is added 30 ml. (49 g. or 0.42 mole) of thionyl chloride (Note 5). The reaction mixture is heated under reflux with stirring until vigorous gas evolution has ceased and most of the suspended solid has dissolved (about 1.5–2.5 hours is required (Note 6)). The reaction mixture is then cooled immediately (Note 6) and filtered through a Celite mat on a sintered-glass funnel. After the filtrate has been concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure, the residual solid is mixed with 40–50 ml. of anhydrous benzene, warmed, and the solid mass is broken up to give a fine suspension. This suspension is cooled and filtered with suction. The crystalline product is washed quickly with two portions of cold benzene to remove most of the residual colored impurities, and then the remaining crude acid chloride is transferred to a flask for recrystallization.

The combined benzene filtrates from this initial washing procedure are concentrated under reduced pressure, and the washing procedure with benzene is repeated to give a second crop of the crude acid chloride which is transferred to a flask for recrystallization.

For recrystallization each crop of the crude acid chloride is dissolved in a minimum volume of boiling anhydrous benzene (about 100 ml. is required for the first crop) and petroleum ether (b.p. 30–60°; about 50 ml. is required for the first crop) is added to the hot solution. Crystallization begins on cooling. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature, it is allowed to stand overnight at room temperature and the acid chloride is collected on a filter and washed with a small portion of cold benzene. The yield of recrystallized acid chloride from the first crop of crude acid chloride is 27.6–33.4 g. (50–61%) of pale yellow prisms, m.p. 101–112° (Note 4). The product obtained from crystallization of the second crop of acid chloride amounts to 3.3–3.6 g. (6–7%), m.p. 104–108°.

C. Crotyl diazoacetate. A solution of 10.0 g. (0.038 mole) of the p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone of glyoxylic acid chloride in 100 ml. of methylene chloride is cooled in an ice bath. Crotyl alcohol (2.80 g. or 0.038 mole) (Note 7) is added to this cold solution, and then a solution of 7.80 g. (0.077 mole) of redistilled triethylamine (b.p. 88.5–90.5°) in 25 ml. of methylene chloride is added to the cold reaction mixture dropwise and with stirring over a 20-minute period. During the addition a yellow color develops in the reaction mixture and some solid separates near the end of the addition period. The resulting mixture is stirred at 0° for 1 hour and then the solvent is removed at 25° under reduced pressure with a rotary evaporator. A solution of the residual dark orange liquid in approximately 200 ml. of benzene is thoroughly mixed with 100 g. of Florisil (Note 8) and then filtered. The residual Florisil, which has adsorbed the bulk of the dark colored by-products, is washed with two or three additional portions of benzene of such size that the total volume of the combined benzene filtrates is 400–500 ml. This yellow benzene solution of the diazoester is concentrated under reduced pressure at 25° with a rotary evaporator, and the residual yellow liquid is distilled under reduced pressure. (Caution! This distillation should be conducted in a hood behind a safety shield) (Note 9). The diazo ester is collected as 2.20–2.94 g. (42–55%) of yellow liquid, b.p. 30–33° (0.15 mm)., n²⁴D 1.4853 — 1.4856 (Note 10).