Numerous analogs of nicotine with substitutions on the
pyridine and pyrrolidine rings have been synthesized in the
past from non-nicotine starting materials [22]. Because of
the difficulty in substituting nicotine directly and/or regioselectively,
analogue synthesis is lengthy with low yields. A
variety of novel nicotine derivatives (Fig. 1) were prepared
with regioselectivity from natural (S)-nicotine as potential
new insecticides via a two-step sequence as shown
in Fig. 2. Addition of an organocopper reagent to an