The synthesis of cis and trans 1.3-dimethylpiperidin-4-01s and derived acetate, benzilate, and diphenylacetate esters is described. Configurations and preferred conformations of these derivatives are assigned on the basis of 4-methine and 4-hydroxyl p.m.r. characteristics. Conformational studies of esters of I-methylpiperidin-3-01 and isomeric 3-tropanols are also described. Epimeric conjugate acids are well defined in 3-acetoxy-I-methylpiperidine hydrochloride as solute in CDCI,.La synthtse des cis et trans dimethyl-1,3 piperidinols-4 et des esters qui en dtrivent, acetates, benzylates, et diphtnylacttates, est dtcrite. Les configurations et les conformations privilegites de ces derives sont attribuees en se fondant sur les caracteristiques p.m.r. du mtthine-4 et de I'hydroxyl-4. Les etudes conformationnelles des esters du methyl-l piptridinol-3 et des tropanols-3 isomeres, sont egalement decrites. Les acides conjugues epimtres sont bien definis dans le chlorhydrate d'acktoxy-3 methyl-l piperidine dissous dans le CDCI,.Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 50,803 (1972) The cis and trans 1,3-dimethyl-4-piperidyl esters described in this paper were prepared as the steric analogs of cholinolytic esters of tropine and pseudotropine for use in structureactivity studies of drugs related to atropine. The parent piperidinols 1 were obtained by reduction of 1,3-dimethyl-4-piperidone (2) under various conditions. These reactions were first reported by Mistryukov ( I ) who separated the two alcohols by g.1.c. and column chromatography. He assigned configurations cis and cis trans 3 4 a R = H b R=COMe trans to the initially and finally displaced isomers respectively, on the assumption of the cis isomer 3a having an axial (hindered), and the trans 4a an equatorial (accessible) hydroxyl function. These assignments are now confirmed by p.m.r. data, as shown later. We sought to achieve separation of the piperidinols 1 in bulk by crystallization of the base hydrochlorides. In this way only the trans salt could be separated from a total base mixture obtained from the piperidone 2 and LAH; treatment of the base recovered from the mother liquors with acetyl chloride in hot ethyl acetate, however, gave the cis acetate 5 hydrochloride from which H OCOMe we Me 5 the alcohol could be derived after treatment of the free ester with LAH. It was later found that the trans ester 5 separated quantitatively during the reaction when the total piperidinols 1 were acetylated leaving the almost pure cis isomer in the mother liquors. Isomeric purity of the products was confirmed from their p.m.r. spectra (see below). This procedure was adopted as the best route to the pure cis and trans piperidinols 1; it also enabled isomer ratios in the total products of various reductions of 2 to be calculated. The translcis ratio after LAH (2.3) was reasonably close to the reported (1) value of 1.7, while that after aluminum isoCan. J. Chem. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 34.210.69.67 on 05/11/18For personal use only.