Aza‐Michael Reaction: A Decade Later – Is the Research Over?

Abstract The 1,4‐conjugated addition of nitrogen centered nucleophiles to electron‐deficient alkenes, historically called the aza‐Michael addition, is one of the most significant and widely used reactions in modern synthetic organic chemistry. In the last decade, great progress has been made in this field namely in the development of various catalytic systems. Fundamental advances involve the use of transition metal catalysts, organocatalysts, enzymes, ionic liquids, Brønsted and Lewis acids and bases. This Review aims to critically analyze the results of research into the reactions of aliphatic and aromatic amines with Michael acceptors.