Highly regio- and chemoselective ring opening of oxa-bridged piperidinones toward functionalized furanones and piperidines.

Lewis acid mediated competitive ring-opening reactions of N-tosyl-substituted oxa-bridged piperidinone ring systems are demonstrated. A majority of the Lewis acids furnished the regio- and chemoselective reductive ring opening at the C(1)-N bond, whereas TiCl(4) furnished at the C(1)-O bond in the presence of triethylsilane, affording functionalized furanones and dihydroxypiperidines, respectively. [reaction: see text]