ALPHA-METHOXYLATION OF UNSATURATED CARBONYL-COMPOUNDS

alpha-Methoxylation of enals or enones can be performed in high yield by a simple one-pot reaction sequence: Bromination of unsaturated hydr azones, HBr-elimination, and addition of methanol leads to the formati on of beta-bromo-alpha-methoxy hydrazones (11), which after hydrolysis and HBr-elimination yields the alpha-methoxy enals or alpha-methoxy e nones (13), respectively.