January 1998 SYNTHESIS 43 yield to 62%. The formal dimerisation17 of (–)-nicotine to BINIC (7) was achieved by heating 4 in the presence of palladium and hexabutylditin in 58% yield, which was not improved by additional copper oxide. A potential epimerisation of the benzylic position by palladium (II) mediated processes can be excluded for the formation of BINIC (7), as no meso compound was observed.
