Strategic Approach to the Metamorphosis of γ-Lactones to NH γ-Lactams via Reductive Cleavage and C-H Amidation.

A new approach has elaborated on the conversion of γ-lactones to the corresponding NH γ-lactams that can serve as γ-lactone bioisosteres. This approach consists of reductive C-O cleavage and an Ir-catalyzed C-H amidation, offering a powerful synthetic tool for accessing a wide range of valuable NH γ-lactam building blocks starting from γ-lactones. The synthetic utility was further demonstrated by the late-stage transformation of complex bioactive molecules and the asymmetric transformation.