Highly efficient phosphine-catalyzed routes to α-imidoacrylates and 2,3-diimidopropanoates

The highly efficient α- and vicinal bis-addition of cyclic imides to methyl propiolate in high yields and β-addition of these imides to α-imidoacrylates in quantitative yields is reported. These reactions offer a simple metal-free method for a gram-scale preparation of practically useful α-imidoacrylates and vicinal bisimides under mild conditions with high atom economy and selectivity.