One-pot synthesis of pyrrolizidine and amino acid derivatives from diallyl amines

The successive reaction of diallyl amines 1 with several alkyllithium reagents and diethyl carbonate leads, after hydrolysis, to the corresponding pyrrolizidine derivatives 3 in a one-pot process; the reaction of intermediates 2 with carbon dioxide affords (Z)-amino acids 8, (E)-amino esters 9 or N-substituted butyrolactams 10.