Surnmmy. N-Ethoxycarbonyl4pyddone is reduced to N-etho~carbnyl4-01~ 2.3,4tetrahydmpyridine by sodium borohydride in t-butyl alcohol containing cthyl chloroformate. Saponification of the product leads to 4-Oxo-1.2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine.1, Introduction. -Some N-alkylated 4-0~0-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridines have been most successfully synthesized by reduction of the corresponding N-alkyl pyridones with hydroaluminates. A first example was given by WiW@&&! [l] who reduced N-alkyl-4-0~0-1,2,3,4-tetrahydmpyridine. Other N-alky~-4-0~0-1,2,3,4-
N-[Z-(indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-4-pyridone with lithium aluminium hydride to the corresponding
tetrahydropyridines wexe prepared by Tamwu d d. [ZJ treating N-alkyl pyridonc-with lithium triethoxy aluminium hydride. Such compounds have also been obtained by other procedures: An example by Hebky et aZ. [3] showed that they are accessible by catalytic hydrogenation of pyridones; Stiitz et al.[4] found an opposite mode of access: dehydrogenation of an N-alkyl piperidone occurred following a peracid and acetic anhydridelbase treatment by means of a modified type of the Polonovsky reaction. A total synthetic route to some 2,6-disubstituted 4-oxo-l,2,3,4tetrahydropyridines is reported by Szsgiyamas group 1' 51 condensing Schiff-bases with dialkali salts of Bdiketones.