Amino acid-derived enaminones: A study in ring formation providing valuable asymmetric synthons

A new reaction for the preparation of enaminones has been discovered. This method employs β-amino acids as starting materials to allow diversification as well as incorporation of chirality. The β-amino acids, once converted to ynones, are readily cyclized to the desired six-membered enaminone via a two-step, one-pot protocol. Although disguised as a 6-endo-dig cyclization, the reagents employed in the transformation play a direct role in bond making and bond breaking, thus changing the mode of addition.