One-pot synthesis of gamma-lactams in a reaction cascade from alpha,beta-unsaturated imines, CO and ethylene catalysed by Ru-3(CO)(12)dagger

The formation of 1,3-dihydropyrrol-2-one derivatives in moderate to excelle nt yields may be achieved by sequential insertion of CO and ethylene into C -H bonds of 1-azadienes catalysed by Ru-3(CO)(12); thus two new C-C bonds a nd a new center of asymmetry at C3 are produced via an intramolecular aldol condensation-like cyclization.