The Fluoro-Pauson-Khand Reaction in the Synthesis of Enantioenriched Nitrogenated Bicycles Bearing a Quaternary C-F Stereogenic Center.

A variety of enantioenriched fluorinated 6H-cyclopenta[c]pyridin-6-one bicycles, a scaffold present in several classes of monoterpenic alkaloids with varied biological activity, were synthesized in just five steps from simple aldehyde starting materials. The synthesis presented wide functional group tolerance and moderate to high yields and diastereoselectivities and could be carried out on a gram scale. These products were suitable for further transformations, such as hydrogenation and deprotection of the tert-butylsulfonyl protecting group.