A novel synthesis of 1-aryl-3-piperidone derivatives

A novel method to construct the 1-aryl-3-piperidone scaffold is described here. Starting from 3,5-dichloroaniline, a seven-step synthesis, without the use of protecting groups, generates the desired 3-piperidone ring in an overall yield of 30% through a key Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction and ring-closing metathesis, providing easy access to diverse and useful heterocycles.