Heterocyclizations of 1,4-bis-nucleophiles with the new 3-trifluoroacetyl-lactams 1a-c differ from 1,2- or 1,3-bisnucleophiles since they proceed without opening of the lactam structure to give benzoxazolidines 4-6, benzothiazolidines 7-9 and benzimidazolidines 13 as mixtures of two disastereoisomers in various proportions. The structure and the absolute configuration of these heterocycles were established by X-Ray diffraction analysis and by comparison of F-19- and C-13-NMR data.