Stereoselective synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted piperidines using the iridium-catalyzed allylic cyclization as configurational switch: asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-241 d and related piperidine alkaloids.

Pressing the configurational switch: Use of enantiomeric Ir catalysts allows the vinylpiperidine building blocks 2 a and 2 b to be synthesized with high selectivity. Total syntheses of the dendrobate alkaloid (+)-241 D, its C6-epimer, and a spruce alkaloid are presented as applications.