Competitive thermal ene reaction and Diels–Alder reactions of 2-[N-(alk-2-enyl)benzylamino]-3-vinylpyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4(4H)-ones

Thermal reaction of 2-[N-(alk-2-enyl)benzylamino]-3-(2-substituted and 2,2-disubstituted)vinylpyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4(4H)-ones gave azepine, the desired ene products, and/or pyran derivatives. The formation of the latter was responsible for the [4+2] cycloaddition reaction between the α,β-unsaturated ester carbonyl moiety as a diene part and the alkenylamino moiety as an ene one. The reaction features depended upon the kinds of substituents both on the vinyl and alkenyl counterparts; strongly electron-withdrawing substituents on the vinyl moiety or an electron-donating substituent on the alkenyl one changed the reaction feature from the ene reaction to the hetero Diels–Alder reaction.