Ethyl diazoacetate (N=N=CHC(O)OC2H5) is a diazo compound and a reagent in organic chemistry.
[4] The compound can be prepared by reaction of the ethyl ester of glycine with sodium nitrite and sodium acetate in water.
Although the compound is hazardous, it is used in chemical industry as a precursor to trovafloxacin.
[5] Procedures for safe industrial handling have been published.
[6] Another location where EDA was used is in the production of BI-4752, a invented 5-HT2C agonist that is even better than lorcaserin.