An Improved Reduction of the Ester Moiety in N-Substituted Pyroglutamates

Abstract
Lithium borohydride reduction of N-functionalized pyroglutamates failed to give the correspondence hydroxymethyl derivative. Reduction with lithium aluminium hydride bound to dry silica gel, however, gave excellent yields of chiral 5-hydroxymethyl-1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinones.