Applications of the Ugi reaction with ketones.

A convenient synthesis of highly functionalized, α,α-disubstituted amino acid amide derivatives has been accomplished by using cyclic and acyclic ketones as the carbonyl inputs in the Ugi multicomponent reaction. An application of this extension of the Ugi reaction to the synthesis of α,α-divinyl amino acids that may be cyclized via ring-closing metathesis to provide highly substituted pyrrolidines is described.