Radicals generated by photolysis (W light) of suitably protected amino-acid derivatives of N- hydroxy-2-thiopyridone add efficiently to activated olefins to afford satisfactory yields of adducts. Oxidation of the thiopyridyl residue to sulphoxide and thermal elimination afford excellent yields of the corresponding α, β-unsaturated derivatives. Lateral chain decarboxylation of suitably protected aspartic and glutamic acids provides convenient ...
