1. Arylimines of 1-tetralone (1) react with various substituted acetyl chlorides (2) in the presence of triethylamine yielding β-lactams spiroannulated with tetrahydronaphthalene (3).

2. The invention relates to a method for producing ethyldimethylamine and triethylamine, comprising the steps of (i) reacting a mixture from diethylamine and dimethylamine with ethylene in the presence of a catalyst from the group of the alkalimetal dimethylamides, alkalimetal diethylamides and alkalimetal hydrides, (ii) removing the catalyst, (iii) separating by distillation the obtained mixture into triethylamine and ethyldimethylamine and optionally diethylamine and dimethylamine, (iv) optionally returning the catalyst and the educt amines to the reaction.