Direct Synthesis of β-Alkyl N-Aryl Aza Baylis-Hillman Adducts via Nitroso-Ene Reaction

A new approach for the direct Fe-catalyzed synthesis of beta-alkyl N-aryl aza Baylis-Hillman (ABH) adducts is reported. This approach involves the formation of a C-N bond via a nitroso-ene reaction. This is a simple, fast, and best alternate method to overcome the substrate scope limitations of the ABH reaction, which converts allyl esters and carbonyl compounds to novel ABH adducts. A variety of arylhydroxylamines reacted with esters, aldehydes, ketone, and nitriles to yield the corresponding products in moderate to excellent yields.