Asymmetric Formal Synthesis of (−)-Paroxetine

A concise, asymmetric formal synthesis of (-)-paroxetine is reported. The synthetic strategy features an asymmetric hydrogenation for constructing the chiral center and a phosphate-group-involved intramolecular S_N2 reaction for the construction of the trans-3,4-disubstituted piperidine scaffold. This synthetic route is concise and practical for (-)-paroxetine synthesis.