Acetonedicarboxylic acid is the organic compound with the formula . It is classified as both a dicarboxylic acid and an oxocarboxylic acid.
Acetonedicarboxylic acid is prepared commercially by oxidation of citric acid. It can also be prepared by treating citric acid with fuming sulfuric acid.
Upon heating it undergoes decarboxylation first to give acetoacetic acid then acetone:
Acetonedicarboxylic acid and its esters such as dimethylacetonedicarboxylate are primarily used as building blocks in the synthesis of heterocycles One example is it use in Robinson's classic synthesis of tropinone. It participates in the WeissâÂÂCook reaction.