Enamines, reaction with conjugated carbonyls

Olefins conjugated with electron-withdrawing groups other than a carbonyl group undergo reactions with enamines in a manner similar to the carbonyl-conjugated electrophilic alkenes described above. Namely, they condense with an enamine to form a zwitterion intermediate from which either 1,2 cycloaddition to form a cyclobutane ring or simple alkylation can take place. 

When the enamine is in conjugation with a carbonyl function, as in a-aminomethylene aldehydes (528,529), ketones (530), or esters (531), a Michael addition is found in vinylogous analogy to the reactions of amides. An application to syntheses in the vitamin A series employed a vinyl lithium compound (532). 

The self-condensation is largely suppressed in reactions with those ketones 2, that are activated by an electron-withdrawing substituent or R". The carbonyl activity is then increased, and the enamine-intermediate 5 is favored over the imine 4, by conjugation with the electron-withdrawing group. ... 

Enamines react with acceptor-substituted alkenes (Michael acceptors) in a conjugate addition reaction for example with o ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds or nitriles such as acrylonitrile 8. With respect to the acceptor-substituted alkene the reaction is similar to a Michael addition ... 

With conjugated dienes, photocycloaddition of carbonyl compounds occurs at one of the double bonds to give vinyloxetanes. An interesting example is the reaction of acetone with 2-methyl-l,3-butadiene, which gave the two oxetanes (60) and (61) in a ratio of 3 1 and a total yield of about 20% (72JA8761). Other alkenes which have been used for photosynthesis of oxetanes include enol ethers, ketene acetals, enamines, allenes and diketene, with the reaction of the last compound with benzaldehyde illustrated in equation (105) (75CPB365). 

Several steps are involved in this reaction, including the transfer of the enamine function to the aldehyde carbonyl. The reaction begins with conjugate addition ... 

An a-oximino enamine was formed by the reaction of nitrosyl chloride and triethylamine with morpholinocyclohexene 494). Oxime functions have also been introduced into carbonyl conjugated enamines with isoamyl nitrite or NjOj 495). 

In an extension of previous work on conjugated enamine carbonyl derivatives, reaction of the pyrazolone 91 with IV.lV-disubstituted hydrazines on heating in an alcohol solvent afforded the hexahydropyrazolo[4,3-Michael-type addition of the alcohol to a pre-formed pyrazolo-diazepine, was excluded <06T8126>. 

Enamine nucleophiles react readily with soft conjugated electrophiles, such as a, 3-unsaturated carbonyl, nitro, and sulfonyl compounds [20-22], Both aldehydes and ketones can be used as donors (Schemes 27 and 28). These Michael-type reactions are highly useful for the construction of carbon skeletons and often the yields are very high. The problem, however, is the enantioselectivity of the process. Unlike the aldol and Mannich reactions, where even simple proline catalyst can effectively direct the addition to the C = O or C = N bond by its carboxylic acid moiety, in conjugate additions the charge develops further away from the catalyst (Scheme 26) ... 

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