Asymmetric synthesis of 3,4-anti- and 3,4-syn-substituted aminopyrrolidines via lithium amide conjugate addition.

The diastereoselective conjugate addition of homochiral lithium amides to methyl 4-(N-allyl-N-benzylamino)but-2-enoate has been used as the key step in a simple and efficient protocol for the preparation of 3,4-substituted aminopyrrolidines. This protocol provides a complementary and stereoselective route to both anti- and syn-3-amino-4-alkylpyrrolidines as well as anti- and syn-3-hydroxy-4-aminopyrrolidines, in high de and ee viabeta-amino enolate functionalisation. This methodology has been applied to the synthesis of anti-(3S,4S)- and syn-(3R,4S)-3-methoxy-4-(N-methylamino)pyrrolidine.