Generation of aminoacyl radicals from 1-carbamoyl-1-methylcyclohexa-2,5-dienes: a new tin-free homolytic route to beta- and gamma-lactams

Radical induced homolyses of 1-carbamoyl-1-methylcyclohexa-2,5-dienes took place cleanly to yield aminoacyl radicals, with no competition from the alternative dissociation to methyl radicals: beta- and gamma -lactams were obtained from ring closures of suitably unsaturated model compounds.