Abstract: | ![]() The addition of carboxylic acids to dimethylamino-propinal ( 1a ) and 4-dimethyl-amino-but-3-in-2-on ( 1b ) gives, after rearrangement of the very instable primary adducts ( 2 ), Z-3-acetoxy-N,N-dimethylacrylamides and -crotonamides 3 to 8 in excellent yields and in a stereospecific manner. Similarly, the adducts of HCl and HBr to the alkynes 1a and 1b may be rearranged at low temperature by traces of acid to cis/trans equilibria of 3-halo-acrylamides and -crotonamides 9 and 10 . - On the other hand, treatment of 3-alkoxy-3-dimethylaminoacrolein with traces of acid yields alkylesters of E-3-dimethylaminoacrylic acid ( 12 , X = OR). - The preparative aspects of the rearrangement are discussed, and a brief outline of the spectroscopic properties of the compounds 3 to 8 is given. |