Lactams 2 were stereoselectively prepared2 by cyclocondensation
of racemic δ-oxoesters 1,3 which bear a
substituent (alkyl, phenyl, benzyl) at the epimerizable carbon
α to the aldehyde carbonyl group, with (R)-phenylglycinol, in a
process that involves a dynamic kinetic resolution of the
racemic substrate4,5 (Scheme 1).
Initially, the conversion of lactams 2 into functionalized
linear-chain amino derivatives was performed by the four-step
sequence outlined in Scheme 1, involving the hydrolytic
opening of a 2-piperidone as the key step. Thus, removal of the
chiral auxiliary from lactams 2a and 2b was accomplished by
successive treatment with triethylsilane in the presence of
TiCl4, which brought about the reductive cleavage of the
oxazolidine C−O bond, and sodium in liquid NH3, which
caused the cleavage of the benzylic C−N bond. After the
resulting N-unsubstituted 2-piperidones 4a and 4b were