10.1055/s-0029-1217026
The study presents a four-step synthesis of (S)-anabasine, a tobacco alkaloid belonging to the piperidine alkaloids group, using a catalytic, enantioselective vinylogous Mukaiyama–Mannich reaction as the key step. The synthesis involved the use of various chemicals, including 3-pyridylimine, silyl dienolates, chiral BINOL-based phosphoric acids as catalysts, and reagents such as LiBHEt3, 'hot'-Stryker reagent, DIBAL-H, and Mitsunobu reagents for reduction, cyclization, and deprotection reactions. These chemicals served to control the absolute configuration of the natural product, establish the correct absolute configuration of the stereogenic center, and convert the vinylogous Mannich product into (S)-anabasine with high enantioselectivity and efficiency. The study achieved a total yield of 55%, ranking it among the most efficient syntheses for this natural product.