Valuable chiral building blocks were synthesized with excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity through tandem hydrogenation of (Z)‐β‐ketoenamides, which were in turn prepared by the direct condensation of 1,3‐diketones with acetamide (see scheme). The chiral amino alcohol products can be converted into useful γ‐aryl isobutylamines through hydrogenolysis with Pd/C. R1=aryl, heteroaryl,
cyclization of N-acetyl enamines and intermolecular cyclocondensation of enamines and nitriles was investigated. The reaction was performed under mild conditions and gave oxazoles and imidazoles, respectively, in moderate to excellent yields. This transformation exhibits good reactivity, selectivity and functional group tolerance. The selectivity of the intra- or intermolecular reaction is dependent on the