trans-6-Aminocyclohept-3-enols, a new designed polyfunctionalized chiral building block for the asymmetric synthesis of 2-substituted-4-hydroxypiperidines

trans-6-Aminocyclohept-3-enols 18 and ent-18 are new designed polyfunctionalized chiral building blocks for piperidine alkaloids synthesis and are prepared in high yields from the enzymatically derived cyclohept-3-ene-1,6-diol monoacetate (-)-8. Efficient highly enantioselective syntheses of cis-4-hydroxypipecolic acid (1) and piperidines 3 and 4, in both enantiomeric forms, are described. [reaction: see text]