Highly enantioselective cycloisomerization of enynes catalyzed by rhodium for the preparation of functionalized lactams.

The rising demand for chiral raw materials, intermediates, and active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food additives, and fragrances provides the impetus for rapid developments in chiral technology.[1] It remains a huge challenge for organic chemists to develop highly enantioselective reactions for the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds in a cost-effective manner. Lactams are a versatile motif in organic chemistry and when functionalized, lactams often either show biological activity themselves, or are important building blocks for biologically active molecules such as (þ)-a-allokainic acid, (þ)-a-kainic acid,[2] acromelic