Abstract

We report in this article a cascade reaction strategy for the synthesis of complex N-heterocyclic compounds with contiguous and tetrasubstituted stereogenic carbons. Under the sequential catalysis of a chiral binol–Ti complex and BF3, cyclopentanone-derived tertiary enamides undergo an enantioselective enamine addition to ketone carbonyls followed by diastereoselective trapping of the resulting acyliminiums by electron-rich aryl moieties to furnish four- and five-membered ring-fused N-heterocyclic products as the sole diastereomers in high yields with up to 99%ee.

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