A convenient synthesis of 5‐acyl‐6‐substituted 3‐cyano‐2(1<i>H</i>)‐pyridinones

Abstract

Abstract 2‐Dimethylaminomethylidene‐1,3‐diketones are useful synthons for the construction of 5‐acyl‐6‐substituted‐3‐cyano‐2(1 H )‐pyridinones. The reaction of these 1,3‐diketones and the anion of cyanoacetamide gave the title compounds. When the 1,3 diketone contained different alkyl or aryl groups, mixtures of regioisomers were formed. To circumvent this problem, dimethylaminomethylidene hydrazones, regioselectively prepared from dimethylhydrazino enones and dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal were reacted with cyanoacetamide anion followed by acid hydrolysis to give the title compounds.