A HIGHLY EFFICIENT FREE-RADICAL APPROACH TO TRISUBSTITUTED PYRROLIDINONES

The radical-mediated cyclisation of serine derived alpha-chloroamides has beer found to be influenced in both yield and stereoselectivity by the nature of the substituent at the site of radical generation-radicals substituted at the alpha-position by methyl, phenyl and dichloro groups underwent smooth cyclisation to give excellent yield of pyrrolidinones in which the trans-C-2 : C-3 isomer predominated-this procedure has potential application to a new synthesis of the kainoid amino acids.