A. Otto et al., Optically active alpha-spirocyclopropyllactones and 3-aminopyrrolidones via stereoselective diazoalkane cycloaddition at alpha-alkylidenelactones, SYNTHESIS-S, (6), 1999, pp. 965-972
1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of diazoalkanes 2 to optically active alpha-alkyl
idenelactones 1 gives high yields of pyrazolines 3 and 4 in a stereoselecti
ve manner. These pyrazolines can further be transformed into alpha-spirocyc
lopropyllactones 5 and 6 by irradiation and into alpha-amino-alpha-(omega-h
ydroxyalkyl)-gamma-butyrolactams 7 and 8 by reductive N-N bond cleavage.