Mechanism of cyclocondensation of isoprenoid acyclic ?,?-enals with monoethyl malonate under the conditions of the Knoevenagel reaction

Abstract

It was shown that the formation of the di- and trisubstituted derivatives of 1.3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylic acid during the condensation of 3-methyl-2-butenal, citral, and farnesal with monoethyl malonate in the presence of secondary amines takes place through the enamines corresponding to these aldehydes, which add to the monoesters of the respective alkenylidenemalonic acids (the “normal” products of the Knoevenagel reaction) by a mechanism of [4 + 2]-cycloaddition. The free carboxyl group in the dienophile is required for the spontaneous transformation of the intermediate [4 + 2]-cycloadducts into the derivatives of cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylic acid in which the catalyst of the process (the secondary amine) is regenerated.