Abstract
This experiment demonstrates the protection of the ketone carbonyl group in ethyl acetoacetate by converting it into an ethylene ketal using ethylene glycol and p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The reaction was conducted under reflux in a Dean-Stark apparatus to drive the equilibrium toward ketal formation by removing water. Subsequent purification and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis confirmed 92.05% product purity and a yield of 53.1%. This process supports fundamental strategies in medicinal chemistry where functional group protection is critical for the synthesis of complex drug molecules, including steroids and antibiotics.