Abstract
Graphic
A highly diastereoselective 1,4-addition involving Davies' lithium amide is employed as the key reaction to prepare, in five steps from ethyl acetoacetate, an enantiomerically pure keto protected β,β
′-ketoaminoester. This latter was reacted with aldehydes in an intramolecular Mannich process and furnished a direct and stereoselective access to substituted homopipecolates. The validity of this approach was achieved through a new formal asymmetric synthesis of alkaloid (+)-Calvine.