A general procedure was proposed for synthesizing 3-R-1-adamantyl methyl ketones from the corresponding adamantanecarbonyl chlorides and dimethyl malonate in toluene (benzene) in the presence of sodium hydroxide. Intermediate dimethyl (3-R-1-adamantylcarbonyl)malonates can also be isolated. The resulting ketones were brought into reactions with hydroxylamine and formamide in the presence of formic acid to obtain the corresponding oximes and 1-(3-R-1-adamantyl)ethylamines. Dimethyl (3-R-1-adamantylcarbonyl)malonates reacted with phenylhydrazine to give adamantyl-substituted 4,5-dihydropyrazol-5-one derivatives.
Acylation reactions of CHacids have been studied, and an efficient approach to the synthesis of 1-adamantyl methyl ketone directly from 1-adamantylcarbonyl chlorides has been developed. The proposed method involves the reaction of carboxylic acid chlorides with diethyl malonate in the presence of sodium hydroxide followed by hydrolysis of intermediate keto diesters in an acidic medium and decarboxylation