Alkyl pyridyl ketones, reduction

As in catalytic hydrogenation, in reduction with metals alkyl pyridyl ketones make a complex picture. 

The quaternary salts of ketals of 4-pyridyl alkyl and aryl ketones undergo reduction with sodium borohydride to give the expected 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridines.47" Reduction of an analogous ketal of a quaternary salt of a 3-pyridyl ketone led to rupture of the ketal ring.476... 

Reactions of 3- and 4-piperidone-derived enamines with a dienester gave intermediates which could be dehydrogenated to tetrahydroquinolines and tetrahydroisoquinolines (678). The methyl vinyl ketone annelation of pyrrolines was extended to an erythrinan synthesis (679). Perhydrophenan-threnones were obtained from 1-acetylcyclohexene and pyrrolidinocyclo-hexene (680) or alternatively from Birch reduction and cyclization of a 2-pyridyl ethyl ketone intermediate, which was formed by alkylation of an enamine with a 2-vinylpyridine (681). 

Reductive alkylation of methyl isonicotinate with benzyl chloride yields 4-pyridyl benzyl ketone (X-182). ... 

---