Chemistry Letters, Vol.40, No.2, 138-139, 2011
Organocatalyst-mediated Aldol-Robinson Cascade Reactions: A Convenient Synthesis of Substituted Cyclohex-2-enones
A convenient organocatalytic process for the chemoselective synthesis of substituted cyclohex-2-enones was developed. The cascade reaction involves a remarkable Michael addition of an acyclic ketone-based enamine onto unmodified enones. The enamine-mediated aldol-Robinson cascade reactions of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes with acetone produced substituted cyclohex-2-enones in moderate to high yields under mild reaction conditions.