Claisen condensation

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First off, a condensation reaction is a reaction in which two molecules are joined with the elimination of alcohol or water. Secondly, the Claisen condensation is the synthesis of $\beta$ -keto esters.
For the synthesis of a $\beta$ -keto ester, ethyl acetate and sodium ethoxide are ``condensed'' and then acidified. This produces ethyl acetoacetate aka acetoacetic ester:

Figure 47.20: Claisen condensation.
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**Figure 47.20:** Claisen condensation.
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Alfa Diallo 2006-08-04