A facile synthesis of (±)-sesbanine via γ-addition of ketene silyl acetal with quaternized methyl nicotinate

Total synthesis of (±)-sesbanine ($\text{1}$) was carried out using γ-addition of ketene silyl acetal of methyl 3-cyclopentenecarboxylate to quaternized methyl nicotinate. The resulting 1,4-dihydropyridine ($\text{7}$) was oxidized with DDQ to give 4-substituted nicotinate ($\text{2}$) and $\text{2}$ was converted to alcohol ($\text{8}$) by stereoselective oxymercuration followed by treatment with ammonia to give $\text{1}$.