Catalytic Conversion of Diazocarbonyl Compounds to Imines: Applications to the Synthesis of Tetrahydropyrimidines and β-Lactams

Abstract

The synthesis of α-carbonylimines by rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of α-diazoesters and organic azides has been developed and applied in hetero-Diels-Alder reactions to form highly functionalized tetrahydropyrimidines and in a one-pot, multicomponent transformation between aryldiazoacetates, p-anisyl azide, and an enonediazoacetate to produce β-lactams in high yields and diastereoselectivities.