“…An alternative way of obtaining analogues of ibotenic acid might be to react the pyroglutamate-3-aldehyde 19 with bisnucleophiles and indeed reaction with a substituted hydrazine, as in Scheme 3, might yield isomers 20 of the ibotenate analogues 15, obtained by the b-lactam route. 10 Further, reaction of an enone 21 with substituted hydrazines, as in Scheme 4, might yield the compounds 22, reduced isomers of the ibotenate analogue 14, which was obtained by the b-lactam route. 10 Unfortunately, synthesis of 3-substituted pyroglutamate derivatives such as the aldehydes 19 would best be approached via enones such as 21, and we have shown 11 that such compounds are extremely prone to racemisation and dimerisation under very mild conditions.…”