Efficient Synthesis of Polycyclic γ-Lactams by Catalytic Carbonylation of Ene-Imines via Nickelacycle Intermediates.

The nickel(0)-catalyzed carbonylative cycloaddition of 1,5- and 1,6-ene-imines with carbon monoxide (CO) is reported. Key to this reaction is the efficient regeneration of the catalytically active nickel(0) species from nickel carbonyl complexes such as [Ni(CO)3 L]. A variety of tri- and tetracyclic γ-lactams were thus prepared in excellent yields with 100 % atom efficiency. Preliminary results on asymmetric derivatives promise potential in the synthesis of enantioenriched polycyclic γ-lactams.

Nickel(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] carbonylative cycloaddition of imines and alkynes or norbornene leading to γ-lactams.

The first nickel(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] carbonylative cycloaddition reaction of imines and alkynes or norbornene has been achieved by employing phenyl formate as a CO source. With this method, a variety of N-benzenesulfonyl, -tosyl, and -phosphoryl-substituted γ-lactams can be prepared in good to high yields.