[reaction; see text] N-Boc syn-7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-(alkyl or aryl)sulfonyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes serve as precursors in syntheses of the neuroexcitants 3-(carboxymethyl)pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid 43, alpha-kainic acid 12, alpha-isokainic acid 14, and alpha-dihydroallokainic acid 77. The key step in these syntheses is the intermolecular radical addition of 2-iodoethanol to a N-Boc 2-(alkyl or aryl)sulfonyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene 7 to induce nitrogen-directed homoallylic radical rearrangement. Oxidative cleavage of the resulting 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes provide straightforward access to polysubstituted pyrrolidines and, in particular, an efficient entry to the kainoid amino acids.
