Facile synthesis of versatile functionalized amino caprolactams using RCM reactions of α-amino acrylamide

We report an efficient synthetic methodology allowing access to functionalized α-amino caprolactams using ring-closing metathesis (RCM). A very high tolerance of α-amino acrylamide RCM precursors toward functional groups is demonstrated. The synthetic pathway is facile, and can be extended to prepare a variety of substituted amino caprolactams in good to excellent yields. These compounds serve as versatile building blocks for the synthesis of some important natural products and their analogues.