A facile and highly stereoselective approach to a polycyclic isoindolinone ring system via an N-acyliminium ion cyclization reaction

A highly diastereoselective synthesis of chiral ring-fused isoindolinone products, the skeleton of which is common to many naturally occurring and biologically active compounds, is achieved in only two synthetic steps from readily available precursors via an N-acyliminium ion cyclization reaction of an isoindolinone substrate. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.