Synthesis of (+)-piclavines A1 and A2

Piclavines AI and A2 have been synthesised for the first time. The route is short with the key step being the reaction of a bicyclic N-acyl iminium ion with 3-trimethysilyl-1-decene. This convergent strategy gave exclusively compounds in which the pendant decenyl group was axial, as a 6:1 mixture of E:Z-alkene diastereoisomers. Reduction of the lactam carbonyl group gave a 6:1 mixture of piclavines Al and A2, (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Expedient synthesis of (+)-trans-5-allylhexahydroindolizidin-3-one

Treatment of the bicyclic iminium ion derived from 5-methoxyhexahydroindolizidin-3-one with allyltrimethylsilane gave exclusively the diastereoisomer in which the allyl group was axial. This substrate is a useful precursor to 5-propyl-3-alkylindolizidine alkaloids. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFFICIENT SYNTHESIS OF 3-SUBSTITUTED LACTAMS USING MEERWEIN ESCHENMOSER CLAISEN [3,3] SIGMATROPIC REARRANGEMENTS

3-Allyl substituted five, six, and seven membered ring lactams are readily available in good yields and reasonable selectivity by a formal Meerwein Eschenmoser Claisen [3,3] rearrangement, using the readily available N,N-dialkylalkoxymethylene iminium salts and lithium alkoxides derived from allyl alcohols.