δ-Hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes undergo a tandem Michael and intramolecular Friedel-Crafts type cyclization with arylamines in the presence of 10 mol% InCl3 under mild conditions to afford a novel class of optically active tetrahydroquinolines in good yields with high stereoselectivity. The stereochemistry of the products was determined using various NMR experiments.
arylamines - α,β-unsaturated aldehydes - benzo-fused heterobicycles
