α-Amination of keto-nitrones via Multihetero-Cope rearrangement employing an imidoyl chloride reagent

α-Aminations of ketone-derived nitrones have been developed via [3,3]-rearrangement of the intermediates generated upon condensation with imidoyl chlorides. Careful reagent selection provides synthetically attractive amino protecting groups. The enediamide or α′-carbamoyl enamide products can be hydrolyzed to the desired carbonyl, or exposed to electrophiles for further α-functionalization