Interrupted Kinugasa allylic alkylation

The β-lactam ring plays an important role in many clinically used antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, cephalosporin) and monocyclic antibiotics (e.g., aztreonam). Thus, developing highly efficient catalytic asymmetric methods to synthesize multifunctionalized β-lactam rings is of great importance to medicinal chemistry and new antibiotic discovery. Recently, our group developed a synergistic Cu/Pd-catalyzed interrupted Kinugasa allylic alkylation (IKAA) reaction to convert alkynes, nitrones, and allylic carbonates into α-quaternary chiral β-lactams.