A synthesis of 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane (1) in five steps and an overall yield of 18 % has beenachieved. An alternative five-step route which gives 1 in 36% yield but which requires large amounts of platinum oxide has also been developed. In comparison, the only previous synthesis of this con~pound gave less than a 1 % overall yield of an impure product. Several N-acyl derivatives and the N-n~troso derivative have been prepared, and the barriers to rotation about the N-CO bond of the acetyl derivative and the N-NO bond of the nitroso derivative have been determined. The barriers were found to be 1.2 and 6.5 kcal less, respectively, than in their unstrained analogs. exo-2-Chloro-7-azabicyclo[2.2.l]heptane has also been synthesized.Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 48,2065Chemistry, 48, (1970 Considerable interest has recently developed in the nitrogen analogs of bicyclo [2.2.1 Iheptane. Reports on the synthesis and reactions of compounds containing nitrogen in the 1-position (1,2) and in the 2-position (3,4) have appeared. The 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane system has perhaps received more attention. In particular, many highly substituted derivatives have been produced by the Diels-Alder reactions of N-alkyl and N-acyl pyrroles with dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (5-12). In contrast the parent 7-azabicyclo [2.2.1 Iheptane (1) was reported as synthesized only in impure form and was characterized by conversion to a picrate and a 7,7-dimethiodide derivative (12). Its synthesis from hydroquinone involved seven steps and gave 1 in an overall yield of less than 1 %. We wish to report an improvement in the synthesis of 1, which allows its preparation in yields of up to 36 %. The proof of structure of 1 is supported by its conversion to five derivatives, two of which are the subject of a temperature-dependent nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) investigation. In addition the exo-2-chloro derivative of 1 was synthesized and preliminary studies of its reactivity are reported.