Enamines from the Condensation of Aldehydes and Ketones with Secondary Amines

Enamines from the Condensation of Aldehydes and Ketones with Secondary Amines 

The most versatile method for preparing enamines involves the condensation of aldehydes and ketones with secondary amines [Eq. (1)]. Mannich and Davidsen (/) discovered that the reaction of secondary amines with aldehydes in the presence of potassium carbonate and at temperatures near 0° gave enamines, while calcium oxide and elevated temperatures were required to cause a reaction between ketones and secondary amines, although usually in poor yield. The introduction by Herr and Heyl 2-4) of the removal of the water produced in the condensation by azeotropic distillation with benzene made possible the facile preparation of enamines from ketones and disubstituted aldehydes. 

This innovation was exploited by Stork and his co-workers (6-8) for a study of enamine formation from a variety of ketones and secondary amines. 

The next seven references are cited not because of the experimental procedures described but because they indicate diversification in the types of enamines prepared and studied. Both Paquette (25) and Kasper 26) have condensed 2,5-methylene-l,2,5,6-tetrahydrobenzaldehyde (5-nor-bornene-2-carboxyaldehyde) (2) with several cyclic and open-chain aliphatic secondary amines. Kasper studied the ratio of endo to exo aldehyde formed upon hydrolysis of these enamines and the dihydro enamines. Paquette investigated the addition of sulfene to the enamines. -Fluoro- 

The secondary amines used in the preparation of enamines have been primarily simple dialkylamines or cyclic amines of five- or higher-membered rings. Azetidine (4) yields a stable enamine with cyclopentanone (28). No simple enamines formed by condensation of ethylenimine (5) or a substituted ethylenimine with an aldehyde or ketone have been reported. 

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