Cyclooctanone reaction with pyrrolidine

The reaction of methyl propiolate (82) with acyclic enamines produces acyclic dienamines (100), as was the case with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and the treatment of the pyrrolidine enamines of cycloheptanone, cyclooctanone, cycloundecanone, and cyclododecanone with methyl propiolate results in ring enlargement products (100,101). When the enamines of cyclohexanone are allowed to react with methyl propiolate, rather anomalous products are formed (100). The pyrrolidine enamine of cyclopentanone forms stable 1,2-cycloaddition adduct 83 with methyl propiolate (82). Adduct 83 rearranges to the simple alkylation product 84 upon standing at room temperature, and heating 83 to about 90° causes ring expansion to 85 (97,100). 

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