Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Intramolecular Allylic Amidation:Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Tetrahydroisoquinolines and Saturated Nitrogen Heterocycles

For the first time iridium catalysis has been used for the synthesis of chiral tetrahydroisoquinolines with excellent yields and high enantioselectivities (see scheme; cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene, DBU=1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene). These products are important chiral building blocks for the synthesis of biologically active compounds, in particular alkaloids