Stereoselective synthesis of chiral 3,4,5-trisubstituted 1,5- dihydropyrrol-2-ones from azadienes

A new access to enantiopure 3-phthalimido-4-amino-5-(1-hydroxyalkyl) 1,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones has been developed from 1,3-azadienes. Stereoselective Lewis acid catalyzed addition of a cyano group to an azadiene, followed by intramolecular ring closure, in a four-step one-pot synthesis, results in the formation of ?-lactams in satisfactory yields.