Skeletal rearrangements in the 2,3-diazanorbornene series. A fast access to highly functionalized cyclopentanes.

[reaction: see text] Acid-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution of bicyclic hydrazine-epoxide involves nitrogen participation, leading to a skeletal rearrangement. This transformation enables the fast preparation of disubstituted bicyclic hydrazines in a regio- and stereoselective manner, leading to several polyfunctional diaminocyclopentanes after hydrogenolysis.