Synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidines via palladium catalysed formal [2+3] cycloaddition of 5-vinyloxazolidin-2-ones to activated alkenes

Glycine-derived N-tosyl-5,5-divinyloxazolidin-2-one 10 undergoes a palladium catalysed decarboxylative ring-opening cyclization with strongly electron deficient alkylidenemalonate derivatives to give highly substituted pyrrolidines 14 containing two contiguous quaternary centres.