Oxidation of N-acyl-pyrrolidines and -piperidines with lron(II)-hydrogen peroxide and an iron complex-molecular oxygen

Abstract
The reactions of N-acyl-pyrrolidines (1a–c) and -piperidines (1d–f) with FeII-hydrogen peroxide in aqueous 95% acetonitrile gave the corresponding pyrrolidin-2-ones (2a–c) and piperidin-2-ones (2d–f). The lactams (2a–f) were also the products in the oxidation of (1a–f) with molecular oxygen in the presence of an iron complex, either [FeIIFeIII 2O(OAc)6(py)3] or [{Fe(salen)}2O], in aqueous 90% pyridine.