Novel carbonyl bromoallylation/Heck reaction sequence. Stereocontrolled access to bicyclic beta-lactams.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of 2,3-dibromopropene with racemic as well as enantiopure 4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehydes 1 in aqueous media was promoted by tin in the presence of several additives to afford the corresponding bromohomoallyl alcohols 2 in high diastereoselectivities. However, indium or zinc were unable to promote the bromoallylation reaction of aldehydes 1 under similar Barbier-type conditions. Vinyl bromides 2 bearing an extra alkene tether were used for the preparation of differently sized, fused bicyclic beta-lactams of nonconventional structure via Heck cyclization.