A convenient synthetic approach to alpha-amino-beta-lactam synthesis promoted by phenyl dichlorophosphate reagent

The ready and economical phenyl dichlorophosphate, in contrast to many reagents developed for activating carboxyl groups for the beta-lactam synthesis, is shown to be very efficient for the synthesis of alpha-vinylamino-beta-lactams from Dane salts and Schiff bases. Some observations toward the scope of the method are also briefly described. The interaction of acetic acids with ethanolimines afforded beta-lactams and/or oxazolidines according to the synthetic methodology used.