Proline, pipecolic acid, and hexahydroazepine-2-carboxylic acid have served as starting materials for the efficient synthesis of l-azabicyclo[3.3.0]octanes (pyrrolizidines), l-azabicyclo[4.3.0]nonanes (indolizidines), 1-azabicyclo-[4.4.0]decanes (quinolizidines), and l-azabicyclo[5.4.0]undecanes. For each ring system, the synthesis proceeded by alkylating the cyclic -amino acid ester with a substituted malonic ester carrying a side chain of appropriate length. Iminium ion was then generated by decarbonylation of the a-(tertiaryamino) acid. Ring closure to the fused ring system resulted from attack of the nucleophilic malonate on the newly formed electrophilic carbon of the iminium ion. Copyright © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.