Table 2.

Microwave-assisted (300 Watts, 90 °C, 24–50 psi) synthesis of 3-pyrrole substituted 2-azetidinones from 1 mmol of (±)-trans 3-amino-1-(chrysen-6-yl)-4-phenylazetidin-2-one with 1.2 mmol of 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran using molecular iodine as catalyst under neat condition for 3 min: optimization of the amount of the catalyst.

Entry	Molecular I2 (mol%)	Yield (%) a
1	30	78
2	25	82
3	20	91
4	15	92
5	10	98
6	5	69
7	2	54
8	1	47

^a isolated yield.