The synthesis of an enantiomeric pair of enaminoesters from phenylglycine is described. Conjugate addition to alpha,beta-enones, reductive cyclization-fragmentation to octahydroimidazopyridines and further reduction to remove the auxiliary atoms, completes a new route to homochiral piperidines in which the enaminoesters function as homochiral 'ethanal enamines'.
The synthesis of an enantiomeric pair of enaminoesters from phenylglycine is described. Conjugate addition to alpha,beta-enones, reductive cyclization-fragmentation to octahydroimidazopyridines and further reduction to remove the auxiliary atoms, completes a new route to homochiral piperidines in which the enaminoesters function as homochiral 'ethanal enamines'.