Abstract: Thermal cyclization of L-glutamate and La-aminoadipate to the corresponding lactam esters can be achieved without racemization. LiBQ reduction of the esters provides optically pure hydroxymethyl lactams. ... Derivatives of naturally occuring a-amino acids are of enormous synthetic ... 5a gave 1 in only 51% optical purity as measured by conversion to the natural ... Because of the importance of these compounds as chiral precursors, we have
