Diethyl succinate
Diethyl succinate is the diethyl ester of succinate.
It is a colorless liquid with the formula 2. The organic molecule contains two ester groups. This ester is a versatile chemical intermediate. A colorless liquid, diethyl succinate is formed by Fischer esterification of succinic acid and ethanol.
Reactions
Being a diester, diethyl succinate is a particularly versatile building block. It participates in acyloin condensation to give 2-hydroxycyclobutanone. Via condensation with oxalate esters, it serves as a precursor to ketoglutaric acid. It is a reagent in the Stobbe condensation.image:Et2succinoylsuccinate.svg|thumb|222px|left|Diethylsuccinoylsuccinate, a useful precursor to dyes and pigments, is produced by base-induced condensation of diethyl succinate.