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Categories: C-N Bond Formation > Enamines

Synthesis of β-enamino esters, amides, and thioesters

Recent Literature


β-Keto esters efficiently react with a variety of amines in the presence of 0.1 equivalents of acetic acid as an inexpensive and environmentally benign catalyst without any solvents under ultrasound to give good yields of the corresponding β-enamino esters.
C. A. Brandt, A. C. M. P. da Silva, C. G. Pancote, C. L. Brito, M. A. B. da Silveira, Synthesis, 2004, 1557-1558.


A green H2O-promoted solvent-free hydroamination of electron-deficient terminal alkynes with secondary amines provides the corresponding (E)-enamines in very good yields, whereas primary aromatic amines afforded Z-configured products in moderate yields.
X. Y. Chen, L. Zhang, Y. Tang, S. Yuan, B. Zhu, G. Chen, X. Cheng, Synlett, 2020, 31, 878-882.


A wide range of β-enamino esters, thioesters, and amides can be formed using carefully buffered conditions in the presence of hydroxybenzotriazole derivatives. Illustrative syntheses of some heterocyclic systems are given, including some related to protein-protein interface mimics.
D. Xin, K. Burgess, Org. Lett., 2014, 16, 2108-2110.


An efficient, mild Pd-catalyzed oxidative coupling of aromatic primary amines and alkenes under molecular oxygen provides a rapid access to (Z)-enamines with exceptional functional group tolerance and excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. The resultant enamines could be conveniently transformed into a series of N-containing heterocycles, thus illustrating its potential applications in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.
X. Ji, H. Huang, W. Wu, X. Li, H. Jiang, J. Org. Chem., 2013, 78, 11155-11162.


The use of a planetary ball mill enables a solvent-free method for the addition of amines to dialkylacetylendicarboxylates or alkylpropiolates. Conversion of educts was quantitative within five minutes without use of any catalyst or base. Beside the E-/Z-isomers, no side products were formed.
R. Thorwirth, A. Stolle, Synlett, 2011, 2200-2202.


Acid- or base-promoted condensation reactions of carbamates with β-alcoxyacrylates provide N-monosubstituted β-Aminoacrylates. Whereas the base-promoted reaction is E-selective, acid catalysis can selectively form E or Z isomers depending on the solvent.
S. R. Pollack, A. Dion, J. Org. Chem., 2021, 86, 11748-11762.


Acid- or base-promoted condensation reactions of carbamates with β-alcoxyacrylates provide N-monosubstituted β-Aminoacrylates. Whereas the base-promoted reaction is E-selective, acid catalysis can selectively form E or Z isomers depending on the solvent.
S. R. Pollack, A. Dion, J. Org. Chem., 2021, 86, 11748-11762.


A mild and operationally simple hydroamidation of electron-deficient terminal alkynes by amides in the presence of a Pd-catalyst enables a stereoselective synthesis of Z-enamides. Hydrogen bonding between the amido proton and carbonyl oxygen of ester group maybe provides the extra stability to the Z-isomer of an intermediate vinyl-palladium complex, which subsequently undergoes protodepalladation and leads to the Z-enamide selectively.
N. Panda, A. K. Jena, J. Org. Chem., 2012, 77, 9407-9412.


The use of AgNTf2 as catalyst enables a facile, economic, regioselective, and high-yielding protocol for the hydroamination of unsymmetrical internal alkynes under mild reaction conditions. This strategy is efficient to build complex structures from simple starting materials in an environmentally compatible fashion.
X. Zhang, B. Yang, G. Li, X. Shu, D. C. Mungra, J. Zhu, Synlett, 2012, 23, 622-626.


A highly regioselective hydroamination of unsymmetrical electron-poor and electron-rich alkynes with anilines is catalyzed by Au(I) under mild conditions. In addition, applications toward indole syntheses are presented including an example of a one-pot synthesis from a nonfunctionalized aniline.
S. Kramer, K. Dooleweerdt, A. T. Lindhardt, M. Rottländer, T. Skrydstrup, Org. Lett., 2009, 11, 4208-4211.