Reaction of cyclohexanone benzylimines with ethylidenemalonate diesters. Diphenyl 2-ethylidenemalonate: a highly electrophilic synthetic equivalent of crotonic esters.

The diastereoselective Michael alkylation of alpha-substituted and alpha,alpha'-disubstituted cyclohexanone benzylimines with ethylidenemalonate diesters was carried out for mechanistic and synthetic purposes. In the first case, an inverse regioselectivity occurred in comparison with what is generally observed since the Michael adducts resulted from alkylation of the non substituted enamine tautomer. With alpha,alpha'-disubstituted imines, in all cases, the stereochemistry of the major diastereomer was the one anticipated from a mechanism including a chairlike complex approach with a preferred exo position for the beta-methyl group of the ethylidenemalonic acid diesters. Furthermore, diphenyl 2-ethylidenemalonate 4 was found to be a highly electrophilic synthetic equivalent of crotonic esters.

Enantioselective Michael reactions of chiral secondary enaminoesters with 2-substituted nitroethylenes. Syntheses of trans, trans-2,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine-3-carboxylates

The Michael reaction of chiral 3-substituted secondary enaminoesters with 2-substituted nitroethylenes leads to (Z)-adducts, with good to excellent diastereoselectivity. The nitro group of these adducts was catalytically reduced to give, after cyclization and chiral amine elimination, pyrrolines or pyrrolidines after further reduction. In particular, the syntheses of ethyl (2R,3S,4S)-2,4-dimethylpyrrolidine-3-carboxylate and ethyl (2R,3R,4S)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-(3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl)pyrrolidine-3-carboxylate are described.