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Diazoacetone reacts with methyl acrylate in the presence of anhydrous GaCl to give isomeric methyl 2-acetylcyclopropanecarboxylates rather than pyrazolines obtained from diazo esters or by noncatalytic reactions. In a similar reaction, diazoacetophenone yields methyl 2-benzoylcyclopropanecarboxylates, benzoylmethyl acrylate, and benzoylmethyl 2-benzoylcyclopropanecarboxylate via partial transesterification. Addition of an equimolar amount of GaCl to diazoacetone in the system CHCl-HCl-HO unexpectedly produces 4,5-dimethylfuran-3(2 H)-one and 1,1′-oxybis(propan-2-one). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]