IndroductionThe Diels-Alder reaction of 1-azadienes is a valuable methodology for synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles 1 bearing endocyclic enamine moieties that are key intermediates in the preparation of complicated heterocycles 2a and natural products. 2b The 4π participation of simple 1-azadienes is rarely observed in normal [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions; however, this problem could be circumvented by introducing either electron-withdrawing 1,3 or electrondonating 4 substitutents onto the nitrogen. Fowler 2 and Boger 5 have shown that substitution of the azadiene nitrogen by a strongly electron-withdrawing N-acyl or N-sulfonyl group favors considerably the inverse electron demand Diels-Alder(IEDDA) reactivity of the desired azadienes. Nevertheless, enormous efforts have been made toward production of electron-deficient 1-aza-1,3-butadienes that enable 4π participation of R, -unsaturated imines in [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. These have included intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition of in situ generated N-acyl-1-aza-1,3-butadienes by vacuum pyrolysis 6 and under thermal condition, 7 in situ generated o-quinomethide monoimines, 8 the HOMO diene controlled Diels-Alder reaction of 1-(dimethylamino)-1-aza-1,3-butadienes, 9 the Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of in situ generated 2[(tertbutyldimethylsilyl)oxy]-1-aza-1,3-butadienes, 10 and intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition of N-sulfonyl-1-aza-1,3-butadienes. 11 Recently significant attention has been drawn 12 to the influence of a cyano group at C-2, together with different nitrogen substituents (COR, Ph, alkyl, OMe, SO 2 Ph), on the Diels-Alder reactivity of azadiene systems. Interestingly, literature reveals that C-2-alkyl substituted N-acyl-1-azadienes are rare compounds, although corresponding 2-alkyl-N-sulfonyl-1-azadienes have provided well-behaved dienophiles for [4 + 2] cycloaddition studies. 13 The Vilsmeier reagent, which is derived from N,Ndimethylformamide and phosphorus oxychloride, corresponds to a chloromethyleneiminium salt structure (I, R)Me, Scheme 1). The potential of carbon-carbon bondforming reactions of halomethylene iminium salts involving aromatic and acyclic or alicyclic nuclei has been extensively studied. 14 The Vilsmeier reactions of enamides were found to proceed by cyclization of intermediate II to give fused pyridoderivatives. 15 The ring closure of N-aryl-N-methylformamides to quinolines can also be effected by treatment of electrophilic iminium salt (I, R ) Ar) with enamine via "reverse Vilsmeier approach". 16 All of these examples include amine precursors in which an enolizable formyl or acyl group is directly linked to the nitrogen atom. Nevertheless, Ulrich et al. 17 reported that 3-(dimethylamino)-acrolein is a prototype vinyl homologue of dimethylformamide, which could be employed for preparation of R, -unsaturated imine III to incorporate an acrolein moiety to a suitable nucleophile. These results suggested that if properly substituted * Ph: 091-0376-370327. FAX: 091-0376-370011. Hesba...