A facile one-pot synthesis of acyclic β-enamino ketones, an important class of versatile synthetic intermediates

A one-pot sequential process consisting of nucleophilic substitution of the lithiated acetylides with Weinreb amides followed by a Michael reaction of the extruded N-methoxy-N-methylamine after quenching with saturated NH4Cl, provided β-enamino (N-methoxy-N-methyl) ketones in high yield. It has been demonstrated that this method is applicable to a wide variety of such amides and acetylides. Prolonged stirring of the reaction mixture with saturated NH4Cl generates β-enamino ketones with structural diversity.