Bis(2-t-butylphenyl)phosphonoacetamides for the highly cis-selective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated amides

New Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reagents, (o-t-BuPhO)(2)P(O)CH2CONMe(OMe) and (o-t-BuPhO)(2)-P(O)CH2CON(CH2CH2) O-2 were prepared via the Arbuzov reaction in good yields. The HWE reaction of these reagents with a variety of aldehydes gave cis-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides with high selectivity in almost quantitative yields. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.