CAN mediated decarboxylative hydroxylation/alkoxylation of N-aryl-γ-lactam-carboxylic acids at room temperature: an easy access to N-aryl-α-hydroxy/alkoxy-γ-lactams

An efficient and mild protocol for one-pot decarboxylative hydroxylation/alkoxylation of 1,3-diaryl-5-oxo-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acids to trans-5-hydroxy-1,4-diarylpyrrolidin-2-ones and 5-alkoxy-1,4-diaryl-1,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones at room temperature using CAN in organo-aqueous solvent has been developed.