protonation of the reactive intermediates generated in the raction between dalkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and triphenylphosphine by isonitrosoacetophenone leads to vinyltriphenylphosphonium salts, which undergo intramolecular wittig reaction to produce dalkyl 4-phenyl-n-hydroxypyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylates in moderate yields.