Tautomer-selective derivatives of enolate, ketone and enaminone by addition reaction of picolyl-type anions with nitriles

Abstract We describe an efficient for the synthesis of compounds of tautomeric β-pyridyl/quinolyl-enol, -ketone, -enaminone, which were finally characterized by standard methods like NMR, IR or SCXRD. The addition reaction of lithiated intermediates of picoline, 2-ethylpyridine and 2-methylquinoline, respectively, with nitriles followed by acid hydrolysis afforded the corresponding tautomeric compounds of enol, ketone and emaminone. Interestingly, treatment of 2-methylpyridine or 2-ethylpyridine with nitriles, respectively, yielded mostly β-pyridyl ketone and enol tautomers without enaminones, while 2-methylquinoline with nitriles gave β-quinolyl ketone and enaminone tautomers without enols. The reaction of 2-benzylpyridine with nitriles was not available under the same conditions.