Vinamidinium salts react with different nucleophiles to prepare a variety of useful
organic compounds.1–9 The reaction of vinamidinium salts with aniline derivatives provides
a very useful method for the synthesis of the vinamidines described as b-diketimines.
Vinamidines can be regarded as vinylogous amidines. These materials have
numerous significant applications.10–38 In this context we wish to present the synthesis
and structural characterization of some symmetrically substituted b-diketimines using 2-
substituted vinamidinium salt derivatives and anilines. In our work, we have found that
diisopropylethylamine is a particularly suitable base for this preparation.