Base-mediated selective synthesis of diversely substituted N-heterocyclic enamines and enaminones by the hydroamination of alkynes.

Regio- and stereoselective alkynylation of various N-heterocycles 1a-l using potassium and cesium salts in DMSO is described. Terminal alkynes 2a-k and internal alkynes 4a-f provided the kinetically stable Z-enamines 3a-l and 5a-i in good to excellent yields using KOH at 120 °C. Addition of heterocyclic amines to 1,3- and 1,4-diethynylbenzene 6a-b provided the mixture of E/Z isomers with KOH; however, with Cs(2)CO(3) selectively Z-isomers 7ab-db were obtained by the hydroamination at one triple bond. This developed methodology also provides an easy and novel access for the synthesis of enaminones 10a-c. The detailed work also supports the formation of cis-isomer by preferential addition of o-haloarylalkynes followed by intramolecular C2 arylation in the copper-catalyzed tandem synthesis of indolo and pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines.