Oxidative Dehydrogenative [2 + 3]-Cyclization of Glycine Esters with Aziridines Leading to Imidazolidines.

Oxidative dehydrogenative [2 + 3]-cyclization of glycine derivatives with N-sulfonylaziridines is described. A series of complex imidazolidines were produced under mild and simple reaction conditions. A mechanism involving an unusual acid-promoted auto-oxidation is proposed.