Palladium-catalyzed transformation of a chiral vinylaziridine to a β-lactam. An enantioselective route to the carbapenem (+)-PS-5

The regio- and stereoselective carbonylation of optically pure trans vinylaziridine 5 to trans 3-vinylazetidinone 6 is catalyzed by Pd(0). Compound 6 is then transformed to a known key intermediate for the total synthesis of the carbapenem antibiotic (+)-PS-5.