(+/−)-Tert-butyl (1R,5S,6R)-6-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(3-nitropyridin-4-yl)cyclohex-2-enylcarbamate (1.0 equiv.) was suspended in iodomethane (100.0 equiv.). Silver oxide (6.0 equiv.) was added to the mixture and the reaction vessel was wrapped in foil (kept dark) and allowed to stir 45° C. for 10 hrs. The reaction was diluted with THF and filtered through a pad of celite. The celite cake was further washed with MeOH. The organics were concentrated and the crude was taken up in DCM, washed with NaHCO3(aq), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude was loaded onto silica gel and purified via ISCO to yield (+/−)-tert-butyl ((1R,5S,6R)-6-methoxy-5-methyl-3-(3-nitropyridin-4-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl)carbamate in 35% yield. LC/MS (m/z)=364.1 (MH+), Rt=0.89 min.
