Jp. Dittami et al., PREPARATION OF N-ALKYL PYRROLIDINONES VIA PHOTOCYCLIZATION OF GAMMA-KETO-ALPHA,BETA-UNSATURATED AMIDES, Tetrahedron letters, 36(24), 1995, pp. 4197-4200
Photolysis of gamma-keto-alpha,beta-unsaturated amides provides N-alky
l pyrrolidinones in high yield (77-100%). The procedure is applicable
to a variety of amides derived from the corresponding gamma-keto acid.