The conjugate addition of an enantiopure lithium amide to a ζ-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated ester followed by a one-pot ring-closure/N-debenzylation protocol has been used in the asymmetric syntheses of (S)-coniine and (R)-δ-coniceine (isolated as the corresponding hydrochloride salts), and (R,R)-1-(hydroxymethyl)octahydroindolizine (the bicyclic fragment of stellettamides A-C). © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
