Seven-membered ring scaffolds for drug discovery: Access to functionalised azepanes and oxepanes through diazocarbonyl chemistry.

Functionalised azepane and oxepane scaffolds were prepared using diazocarbonyl chemistry and elaborated to show their potential use in library synthesis. Key dicarbonyl containing seven-membered rings were functionalised via diastereoselective Luche reduction of the ketone followed by manipulation of the ester and amine groups. Further scaffolds could be accessed by C-alkylation of the dicarbonyl compounds. In addition, an oxepane containing amino acid could be prepared via a diastereoselective enamine reduction.