(4S,5R)-4-Benz-yloxy-5-[4-(cyclo-hexa-ne-carbon-yl)phen-yl]-1-(4-meth-oxy-benz-yl)pyrrolidin-2-one.

The title compound, C32H35NO4, is an unexpected product obtained in the SmI2-mediated radical cross-coupling of a lactam 2-pyridyl sulfone with an arone. The asymmetric unit contains two mol-ecules. In both mol-ecules, the core pyrrolidinone ring adopts an approximate envelope conformation (with the C atom bearling the benzyloxy substituent as the flap) and the cyclo-hexyl ring has a chair conformation. The relative orientation of the two substitutent groups at the 4- and 5-positions of the pyrrolidinone ring is anti in both mol-ecules, with O(benz-yloxy)-C-C-C(benzene) torsion angles of 150.8 (3) and 154.2 (2)°. In the crystal, C-H⋯O inter-actions involving carbonyl groups as acceptors lead to the formation of a tape motif propagating parallel to the a-axis direction.

1-Benzyl-5-ethyl-5-hy-droxy-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one.

The title compound, C13H15NO2, was obtained as a by-product in the Grignard reaction of malimide. The dihedral angle between the five-memebred ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.005 Å) and the benzene ring is 67.20 (14)°. The benzene ring and the ethyl chain lie to the same side of the five-membered ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating C(6) chains propagating in [010].