Asymmetric synthesis of spiro 2-pyrrolidin-5-ones, 2-piperidin-6-ones and 1-isoindolin-3-ones. Part 1: N-Acyliminium ion cyclisations with an internal arene nucleophile

A series of chiral non-racemic 5,5- and 5,6-bicyclic lactams is prepared from (R)-phenylglycinol. These are isomerised on treatment with aluminium trichloride in 1,2-dichloroethane to give spiro lactams in high yield and >3:1 diastereoselectivity. From four structures determined by X-ray crystallography, it follows that spiro indenes are formed preferentially with retention of configuration at the spiro carbon atom and spiro naphthalenes with inversion.