Alkaloids, from allylated heterocycles

Yttrium-catalyzed diene cyclization/hydrosilylation was applied to the synthesis of aliphatic nitrogen heterocycles such as the indolizidine alkaloid ( )-epilupinine. l-Allyl-2-vinylpiperidine 30 was synthesized in four steps in 59% overall yield from commercially available ( )-2-piperidinemethanol (Scheme 10). Treatment of 30 with phenylsilane and a catalytic amount of Gp 2YGH3(THF) gave silylated quinolizidine derivative 31 in 84% yield, resulting from selective hydrometallation of the A-allyl G=G bond in preference to the exocyclic vinylic G=G bond. Oxidation of the crude reaction mixture with tert-huVf hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydride gave (i)-epilupinine in 51-62% yield from 30 (Scheme 10). 

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