Nucleophilic addition to 3-substituted pyridinium salts: expedient syntheses of (-)-L-733,061 and (-)-CP-99,994.

[reaction: see text] The addition of nucleophiles to 3-substituted pyridinium salts prepared from N-methylbenzamide and various pyridines has been investigated. Good to excellent regioselectivities favoring the 2,3-disubstituted 1,2-dihydropyridines were observed. The resulting 1,2-dihydropyridines led to the corresponding 2,3-disubstituted pyridines upon treatment with Mn(OAc)3/NaIO4. This methodology was also successfully applied to the enantioselective syntheses of (-)-L-733,061 and (-)-CP-99,994, two members of a new class of highly potent, nonpeptide, Substance P antagonists.