A novel C₂-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester 1 was prepared by the double asymmetric allylboration of glutaldehyde followed by an aminocyclization and carbamation. On the basis of desymmetrization of 1 using iodocarbamation, one allyl group of 1 was protected and monofunctionalizations of the resulting oxazolidinone 11 were performed. The reaction of the N-methoxycarbonyl piperidine 25 employing decarbamation reagent (n-PrSLi or TMSI) as a key step gave oxazolidinone 26 or 17 including an intramolecular ring formation, which was transformed in a few steps into (−)-porantheridine (2) and (−)-2-epi-porantheridine (3), respectively. In addition, the expedient synthesis of (+)-epi-dihydropinidine (4), (2R,6R)-trans-solenopsin A (5), and precoccinelline (6), starting from 11 is described.

Mercuric acetate driven cyclization of γ-hydroxy-δ, ε-unsaturated urethanes 1a, b proceeded regio- and stereoselectively to afford cis-2-acetoxymercurymethyl-3-hydroxypyrrolidines 2a, b, respectively. These were transformed into the key intermediates for several biologically active compounds.

Synthesis of beneficial protected meso-DAP 9 by cross metathesis of the Garner aldehyde-derived vinyl glycine 1b with protected allyl glycine 2 in the presence of Grubbs second-generation catalyst was performed. Preparation of lipophilic N-acyl iE-DAP as potent agonists of NOD 1-mediated immune response from 9 is described.