Many students begin learning about the Dieckmann Condensation (cyclic version of the Claisen Condensation) around week 25-26 of Organic Chemistry. This is shortly after learning aromatic chemistry, featuring the SNAr reaction. The Dieckmann Condensation begins rather innocently as did the Aldol Condensation, however there are twists and turns introduced owing to the fact this is intramolecular carbonyl chemistry with leaving groups, and thermally induced decarboxylation soon removes traces of the Dieckmann Condensation ever having happened. A clever test for such chemistry might start with alkene 1 leading to the synthesis of alkane 2 (Scheme 1). Where was the Dieckmann Condensation?
