Asymmetric Synthesis of Piperidines and Octahydroindolizines

The conjugate addition of a homochiral lithium amide to a ξ-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated ester, followed by a one-pot, ring-closure-N-debenzylation protocol has been used in the asymmetric syntheses of (S)-coniine and (R)-δ-coniceine (isolated as the corresponding hydrochloride salts) and the bicyclic core of stellettamide A.