Push-pull alkenes addition reactions

Bis [(trifluoromethyl)thio] acetaldehyde (83a) has been prepared from an enam-ine precursor (84), although refluxing in aqueous ethanolic HCl is required to effect this reaction.The aldehyde is less stable than its enol tautomer (83b), and many reactions typical of aldehydes fail. For example, addition of aqueous silver nitrate immediately yields the silver salt of (83b), rather than giving precipitation of (elemental) silver. The (trifluoromethyl)thio substituent has pseudohalogenic character and, together with the hydroxy group, stabilizes the alkene tautomer in the manner of a push-pull alkene. The enol-aldehyde equilibrium mixture in acetonitrile shows an apparent of 2.6 when titrated with aqueous hydroxide. 

Resin-bound amines can be converted into imines [710,711] or enamines by reaction with carbonyl compounds (Entries 6 and 7, Table 3.39). Resin-bound enamines have also been prepared by Michael addition of resin-bound secondary amines to acceptor-substituted alkynes [712], by Hg(II)-catalyzed addition of resin-bound secondary amines to unactivated alkynes [713], by addition of C-nucleophiles to resin-bound imino ethers [714], and by chemical modification of other resin-bound enamines [712,713,715], Acceptor-substituted enamines ( push-pull alkenes) are not always susceptible to hydrolytic cleavage by TFA alone and might require aqueous acids to undergo hydrolysis [716]. 

Thus, the measurement of the relative activity of organo(organooxy)carbenes toward alkenes shows that methoxy(phenyl)carbene is ambiphilic with an extraordinarily strong nucleophilic component,while methoxy(methyl)carbene shows nucleophilic properties.Therefore, these two carbenes react readily with electrophilic alkenes. On the other hand, methoxy(trifluoromethyl)carbene, in spite of possible push-pull stabilization, is highly reactive and electronically indiscriminant in its reactions with alkenes.The absolute rate constants of its addition to alkenes confirm such a reactivity pattern. 

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