Nonracemic Bicyclic Lactam Lactones via Regio- and cis-Diastereocontrolled C−H Insertion. Asymmetric Synthesis of (8S,8aS)-Octahydroindolizidin-8-ol and (1S,8aS)-Octahydroindolizidin-1-ol

The Rh(2)(MPPIM)(4)-catalyzed intramolecular C-H insertion reaction of (S)- and (R)-1-benzyl-5-(alpha-diazoacetoxy)piperidin-2-one and (S)-1-benzyl-4-(alpha-diazoacetoxy)pyrrolidin-2-one proceeds with high regioselectivity and cis-diastereoselectivity to give good yields of chiral nonracemic bicyclic lactam lactones (BLLs). For (S)- and (R)-1-benzyl-5-(alpha-diazoacetoxy)piperidin-2-one, the regioselectivity of the C-H insertion is catalyst-dependent; for example, (S)-1-benzyl-5-(alpha-diazoacetoxy)piperidin-2-one undergoes C-H insertion at C-6 preferentially when Rh(2)(5S-MPPIM)(4) is used, but with Rh(2)(5R-MPPIM)(4), C-H insertion occurs preferentially at C-4. This effect is not observed in the reaction of (S)-1-benzyl-4-(alpha-diazoacetoxy)pyrrolidin-2-one. The utility of the BLLs as chiral building blocks in alkaloid synthesis is exemplified by the synthesis of (8S,8aS)-octahydroindolizidin-8-ol and (1S,8aS)-octahydroindolizidin-1-ol.