Hydration of nitriles and transformation of delta-keto nitriles to ene-lactams can be performed efficiently by using RuH2(PPh3)4 catalyst under mild conditions. The effectiveness of the reaction is illustrated by the short-step synthesis of (-)-pumiliotoxin C.
Regioselective Synthesis of Optically Active (R)-5-Methyl- and (R)-7-Methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolines