Enamines using Grignard reagents

Lukes studied the reaction of N-methyl lactams with Grignard reagents. With the five- (39-42) and six-membered (43-47) rings, 2,2-dialkylated bases (16, = 1,2) are formed as by-products in addition to the l-methyl-2-alkyl pyrrolines (15, = 1) or l-methyl-2-alkyl piperideines (15, =2). Aromatic Grignard reagents afford only the unsaturated bases, probably because of steric factors (48,49). Separation of enamines and 2,2-dialkylated amines from each other can be easily achieved since the perchlorates of the enamines and the picrates of 2,2-dialkylated bases crystallize readily. Therefore enamines can be isolated as crystalline perchlorates and the 2,2-dialkylated bases as crystalline picrates. Some authors who repeated the reactions isolated only pyrrolines (50,57) or, by contrast, 2,2-dialkylated bases (52). This can be explained by use of unsuitable isolation techniques by the authors. 

The addition (150-157) of Grignard reagents, alkoxides, hydroxide, sulfides, cyanide, and enolate anions to pyridinium and isoquinolinium salts again provides a variety of cyclic enamines of potential synthetic use. 

Use of the imonium group for protection of enones was explored. Stability to peracids, lead tetraacetate, bromine, and acetic anhydride was claimed (727). The usual resistance of enamines (but not their salts) to additions of Grignard reagents was used for selective addition to a 3,17-diketosteroid by formation of the usual 3-monoenamine 728). 

Lactams with larger rings, e.g. seven-,143,144 eight-,145 nine-,148 eleven-, and thirteen-membered lactams,147 yield acyclic amino-ketones as the sole products, as is to be expected. With the seven- and thirteen-membered rings, the existence of both forms might be expected, and the salts of 1-methyl-2-a-naphthyl-l-aza-2-cycloheptene and l-methyl-2-a-naphthyl-l-aza-2-cyclotridecene have been prepared in both the cyclic enamine and the acyclic amino-ketone forms.148 The structure of the products also depends upon the Grignard reagent used. 

This type of reaction with A N-disubstituted formamides, giving aldehydes, was an early application of Grignard reagents, sometimes known as the Bouveault reaction [A]. Dimethylformamide and N-methylformanilide, PhN(Me)CHO, have been most commonly used, but more recently iV-formylpiperidine and 2-(/V-formylmethylamino)pyridine have been recommended examples are listed in Table 6.5, and a recent example of the traditional procedure follows. It should be noted that these reactions are subject to a number of side-reactions [A]. One useful one is the formation of enamines by elimination from the initial adduct [9] ... 

The (dienyl)iron cations of type (248) and (265) are susceptible to reaction with nucleophiles. For the (cyclohexadienyl)iron cations, nucleophilic attack always occurs at a terminal carbon, on the face of the ligand opposite to the metal, to afford / -cyclohexadiene products. Typical nucleophiles used are malonate anions, amines, electron-rich aromatics, silyl ketene acetals, enamines, hydrides, and aUyl silanes intramolecular nucleophilic addition is also possible. The addition of highly basic organometaUic nucleophiles (Grignard reagents, organolithiums) is often problematic this may be overcome by replacing one of the iron carbonyl... 

Lukes and coworkers " developed a very simple and useful method for the preparation of heterocyclic enamines. A-M ethyl lactams with five- and six-membered rings (104, n = 1,2) give, with Grignard reagents, l-methyl-2-alkyI(aryl)-2-pyrrolines (105, n = 1) and l-methyl-2-alkyl(aryl)-2-piperideines (105, n = 2), respectively. 2,2-Dialky-lated bases (106, n = 1,2) are by-products of this reaction. Aromatic Grignard reagents afford only the unsaturated bases, probably because of steric factors " ". Some authors who repeated the reactions isolated only pyrrolines or, in other cases, 2,2-dialkylated bases . This can be ascribed to the use of unsuitable isolation technique by the authors. The reaction was also carried out with various substituted and non-methylated lactams . ... 

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