Method for preparing 1-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-2-oxo-cyclopentane carboxylate

The invention discloses a method for preparing 1-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-2-oxo-cyclopentane carboxylate. The method comprises the following steps of adding alkali-metal carbonate or alkaline-earth-metal carbonate into an aprotic solvent, adding either methyl 2-oxo-cyclopentanecarboxylate or ethyl 2-oxo-cyclopentane carboxylate and 4-chlorobenzyl chloride into the aprotic solvent, stirring, carrying out heated reflux reaction for 8-36 hours at normal pressure under the catalysis of iodides, filtering a reaction product after the reaction is completed, and distilling a filtrate to recover the aprotic solvent, thereby obtaining a final product. In the final product, the purity of 1-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-2-oxo-cyclopentane carboxylate is higher than 95%, and the yield is higher than 95%. According to the method, the reaction conditions are mild, the operation is simple, and the prepared product is high in yield and high in purity, so that the development of industrial production is facilitated.