Enamines as Michael Addition Reagents

The Michael reaction with enamines is exemplified in this procedure. In a second (spontaneous) step of the reaction, an aldol-type condensation occurs resulting in cyclization. Finally, the morpholine enamine of the product forms and is hydrolized by the addition of water to yield a mixture of octalones, which is separated by fractional crystallization. J -Octalone-2 can be reduced by lithium in anhydrous ammonia to the saturated tra/i5-2-decalone (Chapter 3, Section III). 

A -Octalone-2 An 8.5-g (0.058 mole) portion of the above octalone mixture is dissolved in 50 ml of 60-90° petroleum ether in a 125-ml Erlenmeyer flask and cooled in a Dry Ice-acetone bath for 1 hour. zJ -Octalone-2 crystallizes and is collected by suction filtration through a jacketed sintered-glass funnel, which is cooled with Dry Ice-acetone. The residue is washed with cold (—78°) petroleum ether, transferred rapidly to a clean 125-ml Erlenmeyer flask, and the crystallization and filtration steps are repeated. The residue, after the second filtration, is transferred to a small round-bottom flask, brought to room temperature (the solid melts), and distilled. By this procedure, about 5 g (34%) of purified zl -octalone-2, bp 143-145°/15 mm, is obtained. The purified material contains 1-3% of the -isomer. 

Distillation of the mother liquors affords a fraction enriched in Zl -octalone-2, bp 143-145715 mm. 

A mixture of 100 g (0.6 mole) of 1-morpholino-l-cyclohexene, 28.8 g (0,4 mole) of /3-propiolactone, and 100 ml of chlorobenzene is placed in a 500-ml round-bottom flask fitted with a condenser (drying tube). The mixture is refluxed for 4 hours. The solvent and excess enamine are removed by distillation at aspirator pressure. (The residue may be distilled to afford the pure morpholide, bp 187-18871 rnm, 1.5090.) Basic hydrolysis may be carried out on the undistilled morpholide. To the crude amide is added 400 ml of 10% sodium hydroxide solution. The mixture is cautiously brought to reflux, and refluxing is continued for 2 hours. The cooled reaction mixture is made acidic (pH 4) and is extracted three times with ether. The combined ether extracts are washed twice with 5 % hydrochloric acid solution and twice with water. The ethereal solution is dried (sodium sulfate), then filtered, and the solvent is removed (rotary evaporator). The residue may be recrystallized from petroleum ether-benzene, mp 64°. 

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