A. Lukacs et al., Synthesis of vinca alkaloids and related compounds XCII. Umpolung reactions of enamines through enammonium salts, HETEROCYCLE, 48(12), 1998, pp. 2507-2520
Preparation of enammonium salt from enamine causes Umpolung, i.e. reverses
the reactivity of the original compound. Consequently salt (1) or (9) can b
e reacted with cyanide anion which attacks C-1 resulting either in unsatura
ted cyanide (11) or rearranged products like 5, 12, 13.