Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/paper-1/b1/b/i/solution

The malonate carbon receives two allyl groups. With , attached through its first carbon, the product is
sodium hydride removes a methylene proton from diethyl malonate; molecular hydrogen formation accompanies production of an enolate stabilized by resonance in chemistry. Its carbon attacks the bromomethylene carbon of allyl bromide in an SN2 reaction, expelling bromide. The monoalkylated malonate still has one hydrogen between the carbonyls. Excess base removes that hydrogen, and a second equivalent of allyl bromide produces a second carbon–carbon bond. The final malonate carbon has no remaining hydrogen and cannot undergo a third analogous deprotonation there.
The two alkenes are preserved because the substitution occurs at the primary carbon bearing bromine. Counting the introduced groups gives for the diallylated diethyl ester. Its two identical allyl groups also mean that the central carbon is not a stereocenter. This stage is the alkylation portion of the malonic ester synthesis.

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