title: Ketene reactions with tertiary amines.
abstract: Tertiary amines react rapidly and reversibly with arylketenes in acetonitrile forming observable zwitterions, and these undergo amine catalyzed dealkylation forming N,N-disubstituted amides. Reactions of N-methyldialkylamines show a strong preference for methyl group loss by displacement, as predicted by computational studies. Loss of ethyl groups in reactions with triethylamine also occur by displacement, but preferential loss of isopropyl groups in the phenylketene reaction with diisopropylethylamine evidently involves elimination. Quinuclidine rapidly forms long-lived zwitterions with arylketenes, providing a model for catalysis by cinchona and related alkaloids in stereoselective additions to ketenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Annette D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andraos
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tidwell
authors.forename: Sinisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vukovic