First and Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of Octahydroindole‐2‐phosphonic Acid (Oic P )

We report the first stereoselective synthesis of (2 R ,3a R ,7a R )‐ and (2 S ,3a S ,7a S )‐octahydroindole‐2‐phosphonic acid 2 (Oic P derivatives). The key points are the highly diastereoselective synthesis of cis ‐fused bicyclic (3a R ,7a R )‐ and (3a S ,7a S )‐pyrrolidin‐2‐ones 4 through a dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic γ‐keto acid (±)‐ 5 with ( R )‐ and ( S )‐phenylglycinol via Meyers' bicyclic lactams, and the highly diastereoselective addition of trimethyl phosphite to the N ‐acyliminium ions 3 obtained from 4 .