Efficient synthesis of a chiral 2-aryl Pyrrolidine

2-aryl pyrrolidine 1 was efficiently prepared in three steps starting from N-vinylpyrrolidinone and ethyl 3,5-dimethylbenzoate. The key steps highlight the use of a rearrangement and an iridium catalysed hydrogenation to afford the desired compound. This methodology was utilised to prepare several differentially 2-aryl-substituted pyrrolidines in good yield and enantiomeric excess, and is complimentary to existing methods to prepare molecules of this type.