No abstract

By the action of ozone, sodium cyanoborohydride and the optically active benzylic amines 2, the 1-substituted cyclopentenes 1, 5 and 9 were converted to a diastereoisomeric mixture of 1,2disubstituted piperidines (3, 6 and 10), respectively. Hydrogenation of these compounds and the following work-up yielded optically active 2-alkylpiperidines (4, up to 68%e.e.), pipecolic acid (7, 84%e.e.) and 2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine (ll, up to 85%e.e.). Chromatographic separation of the major isomers of 3b and 6 enabled optically pure coniine (4b) and pipecolic acid (7) to be prepared, respectively.