Behavior of Acrylamide in the Presence of Cyclohexanone and Methyl Ethyl Ketone

Reactions of acrylamide (AAm) were carried out in the presence of cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone and its derivatives in tetrahydorafuran at various reaction temperatures. Interactions between the carbonyl oxygen of ketones and the amide group were found to enhance the reactivity of AAm. No reactions of AAm occurred in the absence of the ketones under the same condition. Interactions of carbonyl group in the ketone with AAm could be examined directly using the 13C NMR spectra of a mixture of AAm and t-butyl methyl ketone or poly (methyl vinyl ketone).