Patent ID: 6897335

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 2-oxocarboxylic acid esters represented by the following general formula (I): wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group, which each may be substituted with substituents, comprising oxidizing a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester represented by the following general formula (II): wherein R 1 and R 2 are as defined above, in the presence of a nitroxyl radical represented by the following general formula (III): wherein R 3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkoxyl group, an aralkyloxy group, an acyloxy group or a hydroxyl group, a hypochlorite, a metal bromide and water with the pH of the reaction system being kept within the range of 5 to 7.