Several pyroglutamate-based natural products have been found to exhibit potent anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties. Although their syntheses have been a focus of research for many groups, their is still room for improvement in the development of highly tunable methodologies for the diverse functionalisation of the pyroglutamate ring.
Venkatram R. Mereddy and co-workers have developed a novel and exceptionally short methodology for the synthesis of such functionalised pyroglutamates via alkylation of amino acid-derived iminoesters with allyl bromides or allyl acetates, easily obtained by Bayliss-Hilman reaction.
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