Oxygenation of Enamines

Reactions of benzoylperoxide with morpholinocyclohexene and morpho-linocyclopentene furnished the corresponding a-benzoyloxyketones in modest yields (480,481). This oxidation has also been applied to some vinylogous amides (482), and the expected faster rate of reaction of the enamine system as compared with enamides has been noted in derivatives of 20-ketosteroids, in reactions with perbenzoic acid (59,483). 

The formation of a-acetoxyketones by oxidation of enamines with thallic acetate has been studied in detail (27) and found to be of preparative value (80 % yields) particularly in five- and six-membered-ring ketone derivatives. Enamines of linear or seven-membered-ring ketones were oxidized also, but at very much slower rates. Enamines of aldehydes with a-hydrogen substituents underwent self-eondensations during the oxidation reactions. Lead tetraacetate was less satisfactory as an oxidizing agent. 

While the oxidation of tertiary amines has been used extensively for the generation of enamines, an example of overoxidation with formation of an acetoxyimonium salt has been reported (484). 

Reactions of enamines with selenium dioxide gave low yields of enamino ketones (J8). Aromatization of cyclohexanone derived enamines eould be largely prevented by the use of aeetonitrile as solvent for the reaction. Even then, yields were eonsiderably below the limit of 50%, imposed by the generation of an equivalent of water. 

Oxidative degradations of aldehyde derived enamines with ozone (4) or sodium dichromate (485-487) have been applied to the formation of progesterone from 3-ketobisnor-4-cholenaldehyde. 

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