1,4-Diazepinone and pyrrolodiazepinone syntheses via homoallylic ketones from cascade addition of vinyl Grignard reagent to alpha-aminoacyl-beta-amino esters.

[reaction: see text] 1,4-Diazepinones 5 and pyrrolodiazepinones 8 and 9 were synthesized from common homoallylic ketone precursors 4 prepared by copper-catalyzed cascade addition of a vinyl Grignard reagent to alpha-aminoacyl beta-amino esters 3. Nitrogen deprotection and intramolecular reductive amination yielded 1,4-diazepinones 5. Olefin oxidation, Boc removal, and intramolecular Paal-Knorr condensation gave pyrrolodiazepinones 8 and 9. X-ray structures of diazepinones 5c and 5d depicted dihedral angles about the alpha-amino acid moiety similar to those of the central residue in an ideal reverse gamma-turn.