β‐Lactam‐Synthon‐Interceded, Facile, One‐Pot, Diastereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized Tetra/Octahydroisoquinolone Derivatives

The convenient and facile synthesis of tetra/octahydroisoquinolones has been developed and validated by using inter/intramolecular amidolysis of racemic N‐aryl‐β‐lactams followed by intramolecular iodocyclization protocols. Thesingle‐pot synthetic version of the desired conversion was successfully developed. The single‐pot synthesis of tetrahydro‐4H‐isoquinoline‐1,3‐diones invariably resulted in aromatic electrophilic iodination rather than the desired iodocyclization in cases where N‐phenyl‐2‐azetidinones were employed as the synthetic precursors.