• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2015

Diastereoselective reduction of 2,3-dioxo-4-carboxy-5-(substituted)pyrrolidine 1 by $NaBH_4/AcOH$ and heterogenous hydrogenation were reported. Stereochemical assignment and diastereomeric ratios of the products were determined using $^1H$ NMR and single crystal X-ray analyses. The steric factors of the C-5 substituents of the pyrrolidinone was shown to have an interesting influence on both the yield and diastereoselectivity of the reduced product.