(-)-(S)-Nakinadine B: first asymmetric synthesis

(-)-(S)-Nakinadine B has been synthesized for the first time (in 9 steps and 17% overall yield from commercially available atropic acid) using the conjugate addition of lithium dibenzylamide to an N-alpha-phenylacryloyl SuperQuat derivative with in situ diastereoselective enolate protonation as the key step.