Reactions of methyl 4-methoxy-6-oxo-7,7,7-trihalo-4-heptenoates 1 and 2 with primary amines RNH2, where R = PhCH2, PhCH2CH2, Ph, 4-MeC6H4, 4-MeOC6H4, 4-ClC6H4, 4-BrC6H4, 2-pyridyl, 5-methyl-3-isoxazolyl, 4-NH2C6H4 affording methyl 4-[alkyl(aryl)amino]-6-oxo-7,7,7-trihalo-4-heptenoates 3, 4, in good yields (57-95%), which suffer quantitative intramolecular cyclocondensation to produce 1-alkyl(aryl)-5-(2-oxo-3,3,3-trihalopropylidene)pyrrolidin-2-ones 5, 6, are reported. The structures of the isolated new products were assigned by means of ¹H,13C NMR measurements and mass spectrometry. The Z and E configuration of compounds 3d and 5b respectively were established from X-ray crystallography.
pyrrolidin-2-ones; [CCCC+N] cyclisation; methyl 4-methoxy-6-oxo-7,7,7-trihalo-4-heptenoates
