A one-pot, inert atmosphere conversion of an aziridine to a@-lactam using nickel tetracarbonyl as the carbonyl source is described. In this reaction it is the less substituted carbon-nitrogen bond which is carbonylated. The proposed mechanism for this reaction requires that a nickel acylate complex attack an alkyl iodide with inversion of configuration. Iron carbonyl complexes are unsuccessful in this carbonylation process.
