Assembly of a 1H-Pyrrol-2(5H)-one Core through a Cascade Ugi Reaction/5-endo-digCarbocyclization/Retro-Claisen Fragmentation Process

A cascade transformation involving the Ugi reaction followed by 5-endo-dig carbocyclization and retro-Claisen fragmentation providing access to a 1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one core is described. The operating protocol is very similar to the typical Ugi reaction settings, while the overall outcome results from the application of a 3-substituted propiolic acid and a phenylglyoxal as acid and aldehyde components, respectively. The utility of process is demonstrated through the synthesis of a small library of 5-oxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamides.