Bismuth(III) oxychloride procatalyst based one-pot multicomponent synthesis of β′-acetamido-β-dicarbonyl compounds with special reference to pref-β′-acetamido-β-oxo esters

Bismuth(111) chloride generated in situ from the procatalyst bismuth(Ill) oxychloride and acetyl chloride efficiently catalyzes the one-pot synthesis of beta-acetamido-beta-dicarbonyl compounds from aldehydes, enolizable beta-diketones, or beta-oxo esters and acetyl chloride in acetonitrile solution and under solvent-free conditions at room temperature; in the case of the beta-oxo ester derived products, these are obtained with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivity in favor of the pref-isomer. X-ray crystallographic analysis of one pref-beta-acetamido-beta-oxo ester exhibits C-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot O intermolecular interactions in the three-dimensional supramolecular assembly.