Enantioselective synthesis of cis- and trans-3,5-disubstituted piperidines. Synthesis of 20S- and 20R-dihydrocleavamine.

[reaction: see text] Diastereoselective alkylation at the carbonyl alpha-position of chiral nonracemic lactams 2 and 3, the former prepared by cyclocondensation of (R)-phenylglycinol with a racemic gamma-substituted delta-oxoester in a process that involves a dynamic kinetic resolution and the latter by a subsequent equilibration, provides access to enantiopure cis- and trans-3,5-disubstituted piperidines. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated with the synthesis of the alkaloids 20S- and 20R-15,20-dihydrocleavamine.