Flash vacuum pyrolysis of acetylenic amides: A mechanistic study

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of twelve acetylenic amides was investigated. Products of pyrolysis were analyzed, characterized, and mechanisms for their thermal behavior were suggested. The mechanistic approach was determined by the nature of the substituents at the nitrogen of the amide moiety. This study provides a synthetically useful application for the synthesis of 1-azaazulen-2-ones and other unsaturated lactams via FVP of acetylenic amides. The biological activity of selected substrates and their pyrolysis products against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was assessed.