A solution of 1-benzyloxycarbonyl-4-(2-fluoropyrid-3-yl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (2.04 g) in 50 mL of ethanol was treated with platinum oxide (0.22 g) and the mixture was hydrogenated (3.4 bar hydrogen pressure) for 16 hours. At the end of this period, the reaction mixture was filtered through a pad of diatomaceous earth and the filtrate was evaporated to afford the named material as a white solid (2.0 g); MS: 315; NMR: 1.6 (br, 2), 1.8-1.9 (d, J=14, 2), 2.8-3.1 (m, 3), 4.3 (b, 2), 5.1 (s, 2), 7.1-7.2 (m, 1), 7.2-7.4 (m, 5), 7.6 (m, 1), 8.1 (m, 1).
