Lewis Acid Catalyzed Diastereoselective Cycloaddition Reactions of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes and Vinyl Azides: Synthesis of Functionalized Azidocyclopentane and Tetrahydropyridine Derivatives.

Lewis acid catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes with vinyl azides has been developed to obtain diastereomerically enriched azidocyclopentane derivatives. In addition, thermal chemoselective ring expansion of azidocyclopentanes to tetrahydropyridine derivatives and further diastereospecific reduction to a substituted piperidine derivative, with an excellent yield, was also achieved.