A facile route to enaminones: Synthesis of 3-alkyl/aralkyl/arylamino-1-arylprop-2-en-1-ones

Reactions of 3-dimethylamino-l-arylprop-2-en-1-ones 2 with arylamines in acetic acid at room temperature and with alkylamines or aralkylamines in refluxing ethanol give 3-arylamino-1-arylprop-2-en-1-ones 3a-j and 3-alkyl/aralkylamino-1-arylprop-2-, en-1-ones 4a-f respectively in good to excellent yields. Enaminones 4a-f have also been synthesized, alternatively, by reacting 2 with appropriate amines under microwave irradiation.