Highly Regioselective Synthesis of Ethyl 2-(N-Methylformate-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-2-yl) Acetate and Its Conversion into Corresponding (R)-Ethyl Homopepicolate by Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Ethyl 2-(N-methylformate-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-2-yl) acetate with endocyclic double bond was prepared with high regioselectivity and further reduced into (R)-N-protected homopipecolate with a good enantioselectivity using chiral ruthenium catalyst.