1-Ethyl-2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-hydroxymethylindolizine (21.3 g, 60 mmol), triethylamine (7.88 g, 78 mmol) and tert-butyldimethylsilylchloride (17.8 g, 118 mmol) was dissolved in 200 ml of dry dichloromethane, and the mixture was stirred for 2 days. The solvent was evaporated and the crude product was purified by column chromatography over silica gel 60, using diethyl ether as the eluent. Fractions containing the product were combined and the solvent was evaporated. The product was crystallised from diethyl ether and petroleum ether to afford 25.5 g (90%) of 2-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-(tert-butyldimethylsilanyloxymethyl)-1-ethylindolizine as yellow crystals. M.p. 79-81° C. 1H--NMR (CDCl3, 200 MHz) δ: 0.01 (s, 6 H); 0.83 (s, 9 H); 1.02 (t, 3 H); 2.74 (q, 2 H); 4.92 (s, 2 H); 4.96 (s, 2 H); 6.25 (dd, 1 H); 6.61 (d, 1 H); 6.89 (d, 2 H); 7.11 (s, 1 H); 7.17-7.37 (m, 7 H); 7.59 (d, 1 H).
