The synthesis of polycyclic γ- and δ-lactams bearing up to four contiguous fully controlled stereocenters is presented. For that purpose, we developed an original approach based on the use of 2,3-epoxyamides in domino reactions by taking advantage of the nucleophilic nitrogen atom and electrophilic epoxide. In reaction with enol ethers bearing gem bis-electrophiles on the double bond as Michael acceptors, four different reaction pathways were observed. They all started with a domino oxa-Michael/aza-Michael/epoxide opening sequence and depending on substrates engaged could be followed either by a lactonization or a hemiketalization/retro-aldol cascade. Thus, four original fully-substituted piperidine- or pyrrolidine-2-one scaffolds were selectively synthesized in good to high yields. Moreover, these polycyclic lactams were obtained in high stereo- and chemo-selectively highlighting the efficiency and molecular diversity offered by this new methodology that should offer various synthetic opportunities in the future.
Keywords: 2,3-epoxyamido-alcohols; domino reaction; epoxide opening; molecular diversity; polycyclic lactams.
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