Copper(II) carboxylate-promoted intramolecular carboamination of alkenes for the synthesis of polycyclic lactams.

The copper(II) carboxylate-promoted intramolecular carboamination reactions of variously substituted gamma-alkenyl amides have been investigated. These oxidative cyclization reactions efficiently provide polycyclic lactams, useful intermediates in nitrogen heterocycle synthesis, in good to excellent yields. The efficiency of the carboamination process is dependent upon the structure of the amide backbone as well as the nitrogen substituent.