An Asymmetric Organocatalytic One-Pot Strategy to Octahydroacridines

An elegant sequence: An efficient method for the formation of octahydroacridines provides high yields and a high level of stereogenic control, and displays great tolerance towards different aldehydes, anilines, and nucleophiles (see scheme; TMS=trimethylsilyl; EWG=electron‐withdrawing group). The use of different nucleophiles verifies an endo transition state in which π–π overlap of the aromatic rings plays an important role in the reactivity and selectivity.