Palladium(II) and bidentate phosphine-catalyzed selective synthesis of N-aryl-2-pyrrolidinones via cyclocarbonylative coupling of 2-aminophenol and 2-aminothiophenol

The inter- and intra-molecular regioselective cyclocarbonylative coupling of 2-aminophenol (1a) and 2-aminothiophenol (1b) with various allylhalides was achieved in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium acetate and 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane to afford N-aryl-2-pyrrolidinones (3, 4) in 47-65% yields. Other aminophenol derivatives have also been used and gave good yields of the corresponding N-aryl-2-pyrrolidinones.