An improved synthesis of the strained pyrrolidine-5,5-translactam ring system

Abstract An improved synthesis of the 5-Oxo-hexahydro-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole ring system (Pyrrolidine-5,5- trans -lactam ring system) has been achieved using cyclisation of the amino ethyl ester 4 with t -butyl magnesium chloride in THF to give the translactam 5 in 78% yield