Patent ID: 7084306

Claim:
A process for preparing a β-diketone compound represented by the following formula (3), comprising reacting an ester compound represented by the following formula (1) with a ketone compound represented by the following formula (2) in the presence of an alkali metal alkoxide catalyst, CR 1 R 2 R 3 COOR 4 (1) wherein R 1 to R 3 are each independently an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and R 4 is an alkyl group, CR 5 R 6 R 7 COCH 2 R 8 (2) wherein R 5 to R 7 are each independently an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and R 8 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, CR 1 R 2 R 3 COCHR 8 COCR 5 R 6 R 7 (3) wherein R 1 to R 3 and R 5 to R 8 have the same meanings as defined above, and wherein a solvent is used in the process, and the solvent is an amide type solvent, a urea type solvent or a mixture thereof.