M. D'Hooghe

3-Hydroxy- 4-(trifluoromethyl)azetidin- 2-ones were efficiently synthesized from the corresponding 3-benzyloxy-β-lactams and successfully transformed into 3-chloro- 4-(trifluoromethyl)azetidin-2- one building blocks. The latter chlorides were shown to be eligible precursors for the construction of novel CF 3 -containing aminopropanes, 1,3-oxazinanes, 1,3-oxazinan-2- ones and aziridines. In addition, 3-hydroxy- 4-(trifluoromethyl)azetidin- 2-ones proved to be interesting substrates for the synthesis of novel 3-[2,2,2- trifluoro-1-(arylamino)ethyl]-1,4- dioxan-2- ones via intramolecular cyclization of 3-(2- hydroxyethoxy)-β-lactam intermediates.

4-Trifluoromethyl-3-oxo-β-lactams were unexpectedly transformed into 2-[(2,2-difluorovinyl)amino]-2-oxoacetates as major products, accompanied by minor amounts of 2-oxo-2-[(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)amino]acetates, upon treatment with alkyl halides and triethylamine in DMSO. This peculiar C3-C4 bond fission reactivity was investigated in-depth, from both an experimental and a computational point of view, in order to shed light on the underlying reaction mechanism.

Enantiopure 4-formyl-β-lactams were deployed as synthons for the diastereoselective formation of chiral 2-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-hydroxyethyl)azetidines via trifluoromethylation through aldehyde modification followed by reductive removal of the β-lactam carbonyl moiety. Subsequent treatment of the (in situ) activated 2-trifluoroethylated azetidines with a variety of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and fluorine nucleophiles afforded chiral 3,4-disubstituted 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrrolidines in good to excellent yields (45-99%) and high diastereoselectivities (dr > 99/1, 1H NMR) via interception of bicyclic aziridinium intermediates. Furthermore, representative pyrrolidines were N,O-debenzylated in a selective way and used for further synthetic elaboration to produce e.g. a CF3-substituted 2-oxa-4,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one system.