A CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF GAMMA,DELTA-UNSATURATED N-FORMYLENAMINES BYWITTIG ALKENYLATION OF GAMMA,DELTA-UNSATURATED DIFORMAMIDES

gamma,delta-Unsaturated N-formylenamines (5-7) were prepared in two st eps from readily available gamma,delta-unsaturated alcohols. The alcoh ols were converted into the gamma,delta-unsaturated diformamides (N,N- diformylamines, 1-4) by tosylation, followed by reaction with sodium d iformamide. The gamma,delta-unsaturated diformamides were applied in a Wittig reaction under mild conditions to give the title compounds wit h a conjugated enamide group in moderate to high yields.