Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion
Published on: January 15, 2016
Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Quaternary γ-Lactams through Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation
Tao Song1, Stellios Arseniyadis1,2, Janine Cossy1
1Laboratoire de Chimie Organique , Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI), ESPCI Paris/CNRS/PSL Research University , 10 rue Vauquelin , 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Abstract:
The synthesis of chiral unsaturated γ-lactams is reported featuring a highly enantioselective palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of α,γ-disubstituted 2-silyloxypyrroles. This method allows a straightforward access to optically active γ-lactams bearing an α-quaternary stereogenic center in high yields (up to 93%), high regioselectivities (up to >20:1), and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee). To further demonstrate the synthetic utility of the method, the resulting allylated products were converted to various versatile chiral building blocks, such as pyrrolidines and pyrrolidinones.
Related Concept Videos
Rotation of Asymmetric Top
The relationship between the angular momentum of any rigid body and its angular velocity, both of which are vectors, involves the moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is a scalar quantity only for spherically symmetric...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
α-Alkylation of Ketones via Enolate Ions
IR Spectrum Peak Splitting: Symmetric vs Asymmetric Vibrations
Factors Affecting α-Alkylation of Ketones: Choice of Base
The reaction involving bases like EtO− whose conjugate acid EtOH (pKa = 15.9) is stronger than the ketone (pKa = 19.2) results in an equilibrium mixture with higher ketone concentration. As a consequence,...

