Efficient Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Cyclic Aminimides

Simple condensation reactions of various α,β-epoxy or α,β-aziridinyl methyl esters with 1,1-dialkyl hydrazines provided cyclic aminimides (1,1-dialkyl-3-oxopyrazolidines) with a heteroatom substituent at the 4-position in good yields. The reaction proceeds smoothly, without any coreagent, providing the product as an easily isolable precipitate. The reaction is expected to be a good candidate for combinatorial synthesis of a highly functionalized five-membered ring scaffold. The scope and limitations of this reaction were investigated by varying the substituents R1−R5.