“…It appears that in 90 years or so since its discovery'2 the Darzens reaction has only now been attempted with a phenyl ester.I3 Interestingly the chloro ester (23) with a suitable lithium amide base and a ketone gives via (24), not an oxirane, but lactone (25) (Scheme Scheme 12 Reagents: i, (Ph,P),Pd, Bu3N, CO 9). Corresponding bromo esters (26) and ketones are converted into di-, tri-or tetra-substituted /?-lactones (27) using indium powder or electrochemically using a sacrificial indium anode14 (Scheme 10). Yields are variable, but usually good.…”