Pi-nucleophile traps for metallonitrene/alkyne cascade reactions: a versatile process for the synthesis of alpha-aminocyclopropanes and beta-aminostyrenes.

The reaction of a sulfamate ester derived rhodium nitrenoid species with an alkyne produces a versatile intermediate, capable of cascading into a wide variety of secondary transformations. The nature of the intermediate has been probed by reactivity studies, and the synthetic utility of the cascade process, which facilitates the construction of complex heterocyclic structures from remarkably simple acyclic precursors, is highlighted.