Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclopentene-Fused Tetrahydroquinolines via N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Domino Reactions

Abstract A new strategy for the N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of cyclopentene-fused tetrahydroquinoline derivatives has been developed. The one-pot organocatalytic domino protocol allows a direct entry to the characteristic cyclopenta[ c ]tetrahydroquinoline core of many alkaloids and some potential drugs employing readily available quinolinone and enal substrates in good domino yields and stereoselectivities.