Regioselective Synthesis of Methyl Enol Ethers from Cycloalkanones via O-Methylation of Kinetic Enolates

Alkyl enol ethers constitute valuable synthetic intermediates owing to their high nucleophilicity stemming from their electron-rich π-systems. Despite this potential, their application in organic synthesis has remained limited, largely because of the dearth of reliable methods for regioselective formation of alkyl enol ethers. Herein, we report a general one-step protocol for the regioselective synthesis of methyl enol ethers through O-methylation of kinetic enolates derived from cycloalkanones.