Chemical and enzymatic synthesis of 2-(2-carbamoylethyl)- and 2-(2-carboxyethyl)aziridines and their conversion into δ-lactams and γ-lactones.

Treatment of 1-arylmethyl-2-(2-cyanoethyl)aziridines with a nitrile hydratase afforded the corresponding 2-(2-carbamoylethyl)aziridines, which underwent rearrangement into 5-hydroxypiperidin-2-ones upon heating under microwave irradiation. In addition, treatment of 2-(2-cyanoethyl)aziridines with a nitrilase selectively afforded 5-hydroxypiperidin-2-ones in good yields. On the other hand, chemical hydrolysis of 2-(2-cyanoethyl)aziridines using KOH in EtOH/H(2)O furnished the corresponding potassium 3-(aziridin-2-yl)propanoates, which, upon acidification with acetic acid, smoothly rearranged into 4-(aminomethyl)butyrolactones.