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.
Key words
asymmetric synthesis - domino reaction - N-heterocyclic carbene - organocatalysis - cyclopenta[
c]quinoline