Palladium-catalyzed cascade of aza-Wacker and Povarov reactions of aryl amines and 1,6-dienes for hexahydro-cyclopenta[b]quinoline framework

Palladium catalyzed tandem reaction represents a one-pot synthetic approach to efficiently synthesize complex functionalized molecules while reducing synthetic steps, aligning with the principles of green chemistry. However, achieving a direct cascade of the aza -Wacker and Povarov reactions in one-pot synthesis presents a challenge due to substrate compatibility issues between the two reactions. In this work, we describe an aza -Wacker/Povarov reaction employing a highly electrophilic palladium catalyst, which effectively converts anilines and 1,6-dienes into hexahydro-cyclopenta[ b ]quinolines. The optimized conditions yield up to 79%, with a diastereoselectivity > 20:1. Substrate range testing reveals compatibility with various sensitive functional groups, and successful late-stage modifications are performed on several natural products and drug molecules, demonstrating the versatility and practicality of the method. Additionally, a preliminary investigation into the reaction mechanism suggests an aza -Wacker process followed by a Povarov process. Achieving a direct cascade of the aza -Wacker and Povarov reactions in one-pot synthesis presents a challenge due to substrate compatibility issues between the two reactions. Here, the authors report an aza -Wacker/Povarov reaction of anilines with 1,6-dienes to obtain the hexahydro-cyclopenta[ b ]quinolines.