General and short synthesis of trans-4a-aryl-6-oxodecahydroisoquinolin
es was described. In particular, the synthesis of (3-hydroxyphenyl)-tr
ans-6-oxodecahydroisoquinoline (12), one of the remarkably useful mole
cule as an opioid message structural part, was attained in only seven
steps. The key step in this synthetic approach was 1,4-conjugate addit
ion of aryl moiety to sterically hindered enones (2).