Highly Site-Selective Oxidative Cyclization of Ene-ynamides via Non-Noble-Metal Catalysis: Access to Functionalized Lactams

Org Lett. 2022 Sep 30;24(38):7009-7014. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c02871. Epub 2022 Sep 19.

Abstract

Herein, an unprecedented non-noble-metal-catalyzed oxidation/cyclization of ene-ynamides is developed, allowing the synthesis of diversely functionalized lactams in moderate to good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities without the observation of typical cyclopropanation products. In combination with Ellman's tert-butylsulfinimine chemistry, chiral γ-lactams containing three contiguous stereocenters are obtained with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that this protocol probably undergoes a carbon cation or proton transfer process.