Lithium perchlorate-, acetic anhydride-, and triphenylphosphine-assisted multicomponent syntheses of 4-unsubstituted 2,5-dioxooctahydroquinoline-3-carboxylates and 3-carbonitriles

Lithium perchlorate and acetic anhydride were the key additives for the multi-component reaction between 3-aminocyclohex-2-enones, formaldehyde, and malonates yielding adducts that were annulated under acidic conditions to afford bicyclic 2,5-dioxooctahydroquinoline-3-carboxylates. When methyl cyanoacetate was subjected to the same reaction conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of triphenylphosphine, the bicyclic 2,5-dioxooctahydroquinoline-3-carbonitriles were obtained in a one-flask reaction.