A new type of three-component reaction of air-stable isochromenylium tetrafluoroborates with electron-rich stilbenes in acetonitrile has been developed under catalyst-free conditions in this work. This cascade multibond-formation reaction is initiated by an intermolecular oxa [4 + 2]-cycloaddition, relayed with a nucleophilic addition of acetonitrile, and terminated by an intramolecular Friedel–Crafts reaction, affording the corresponding benzo[c]phenanthridine analogues in one step.

A new enantioselective total synthesis of phlegmarine-type Lycopodium alkaloid lycoposerramine-Z (1) has been accomplished, using one-pot chemoselective sequential additions of two different Grignard reagents to the bis-Weinreb-amide intermediate and an efficient construction of the fully fuctionalized cyclohexanone intermediate with a chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular Michael addition.