10.1007/s10593-011-0854-5
The research details an unusually mild and efficient synthesis of functionalized spiro-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronicotinamides through the Michael reaction. The purpose of this study was to explore the transformation of the nitrile group into an amide group under mild conditions, which is typically challenging due to the need for rigorous conditions in such transformations. The researchers successfully synthesized these compounds using cyclopentylidenecyanoacetamide and cyclohexylidenecyanoacetamide as reactants with acetoacetanilide or ethyl acetoacetate, yielding the desired tetrahydronicotinamides in good yields. The study concluded with the successful synthesis of these compounds, and further investigation into the mechanism of the transformation, the scope of the reaction, and the chemical and biological properties of the products is ongoing. The chemicals used in the process include cyclopentylidenecyanoacetamide (1a), cyclohexylidenecyanoacetamide (1b), acetoacetanilide (2a), and ethyl acetoacetate (2b).