A highly enantioselective catalytic alkynylation of tetrahydroisoquinoline-based N-acyl hemiaminals has been developed. The method is simple and exhibits a broad scope
with respect to both heterocycles and terminal alkynes, thus allowing for facile construction
of a variety of enantiopure α-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines.
Key words
asymmetric catalysis - alkynylation -
N-acyl hemiaminals - tetrahydroisoquinolines - dihydroisoquinolines