Divergent reactivity of azetidine-2-carboxylic acid with amines: access to α-amino-γ-butyrolactams and N-aryl azetidine carboxamides.

Herein, we report the divergent reactivity of azetidine-2-carboxylic acids with amines, enabling the selective synthesis of α-amino-γ-butyrolactams in the presence of metal catalysts and N-aryl azetidine carboxamides under catalyst-free conditions.