Concise synthesis of (+/-)-cytisine via lithiation of N-Boc-bispidine.

[reaction: see text] (+/-)-Cytisine has been synthesized in 19% overall yield via a six-step approach from commercially available materials. Key features of this new strategy are as follows: (i) initial construction of the bispidine core, (ii) lithiation-transmetalation-allylation of an N-Boc-bispidine, and (iii) a Pd/C-mediated dihydropyridone oxidation-N-debenzylation process.