We have developed an efficient one-pot, two-step sequential process to synthesize biologically and synthetically important chiral acetal-containing polycyclic derivatives. This novel protocol had been proved to proceed via Michael-lactolization-oxocarbenium ion ring-closing sequence, which was initiated by a key reactive enamine intermediate and interrupted the previously established reaction pathway of two different enones used in this work, and generated the corresponding cycloadducts with excellent stereoselectivity bearing up to seven continuous stereocenters. Both chiral and racemic starting cyclic hemiacetals worked well in this strategy. The synthetic applications of the obtained polycyclic products have also been demonstrated.

The asymmetric organocatalyzed diversity-oriented one-pot synthesis has been developed to construct chroman-2-one derivatives and other heterocyclic compounds with excellent efficiency and stereoselectivity. The reactions represent a challenging issue, since it altered the inherent selectivity profiles exhibited by the substrates of 2-hydroxycinnamaldehyde 1 and trans-β-nitrostyrene 2, which was previously reported as the asymmetric oxa-Michael–Michael cascade to generate chiral chromans. It should be noted that polycyclic O,O-acetal-containing compounds, which are found in numerous natural products and biologically interesting molecules, could also be achieved in good yields with excellent enantioselectivity as a single diastereoisomer with five continuous stereogenic centers.

An asymmetric aldol-desymmetrization sequence was developed which provided highly efficient access to important bicyclic oxygen-containing scaffolds with multiple chiral centers and one is a quaternary stereogenic center containing a free hydroxy group. Moreover, starting from racemic precursors, the final products were obtained as two separable diastereomers by flash chromatography. Several other heterocycles could also be easily generated with this strategy.

Tetrahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-2(3H)-one derivatives bearing four stereogenic centers were achieved via an asymmetric organocatalytic cascade process with excellent stereoselectivity in one single operation and H2O as the only side product. The α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid plays two important roles in the cascade process: the Michael acceptor and acidic co-catalyst for enamine catalysis.

AbstractStarting from substituted racemic lactols, the combination of organo/gold catalytic system works extremely well providing epimeric bicyclic O,O-acetals as 5,6-, and 6,6-fused ring systems in good isolated yield with excellent enantioselectivities as pure diastereomers only after simple chromatographic purification. To highlight the synthetic potential, several oxygen-containing heterocycles were prepared smoothly via a diversity-oriented sequential process with high regio- and stereoselectivity, which are important structural units found in natural products and bioactive unnatural molecules.

Based on the appropriate choice of electrophiles, one-pot, multicomponent, enantioselective domino reactions have been realized which contain a five-step sequence and provide highly efficient access to potentially bioactive chroman-2-one derivatives as a single diastereoisomer with excellent enantioselectivities and in high yields. This new strategy could significantly improve the previous protocol by directly starting from commercial 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes rather than preformed lactols, which have to be synthesized in several additional steps.

We successfully expand the application of lactols or cyclic hemiaminals as nucleophiles for the asymmetric synthesis of both N,O- and N,N-acetal moieties contained in the structure of ring-fused piperidine derivatives. This efficient one-pot protocol involves an organocatalyzed asymmetric aza-Diels–Alder reaction and iminium ion induced cyclization sequence to ultimately deliver heterocyclic compounds with excellent stereoselectivity in high yield, containing three continuous stereogenic centers.

Substituted racemic lactols or cyclic hemiaminals were directly used as nucleophiles in enamine-based asymmetric amination reactions to access enantioenriched α-amino lactones or lactams via a one-pot sequence. The desired products, which are very important building blocks in organic synthesis but difficult to be prepared in the optically enriched form, could be afforded with two stereogenic centers in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. Moreover, starting from the racemic precursors and catalyzed by the enantiomeric pair of the catalyst, all possible stereoisomeric products were discretely provided only after simple column chromatography. Additionally, this protocol provides facile access to several novel bicyclic carbamates, and such drug-like heterocyclic compounds should be potentially useful in medicinal chemistry.

An open–close strategy in asymmetric catalysis is newly developed. With this powerful strategy, lactols are directly applied as potential precursors of lactones in enamine-based asymmetric Michael reactions providing a facile access to α-functionalized lactones containing two adjacent stereogenic centers as a single diastereomer in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) and with excellent enantioselectivities (most cases >99%). Moreover, the reaction products are shown to give highly functionalized derivatives by stepwise systematic transformations.

A new, general, and practical procedure for the highly enantioselective synthesis of functionalized nitrogen-containing heterocycles has been developed. The simple cyclic hemiaminals were directly catalyzed for the first time as nucleophiles in an enamine-based asymmetric conjugate addition reaction. The practical approach recycles the catalyst and solvent which make it possible for large-scale and diversity-oriented chemical production.

A highly efficient route to C-3 alkyl-substituted indoles via completely metal-free catalytic transfer hydrogenation of 3-indolemethanols was developed. This process proceeds via vinylogous iminium intermediates formed in situ in the presence of Brønsted acids, and Hantzsch ester is used as the reductant. The reduction works extremely well with a large substrate scope, and the yields exceed 90% in almost all cases.

We successfully expand the application of lactols or cyclic hemiaminals as nucleophiles for the asymmetric synthesis of both N,O- and N,N-acetal moieties contained in the structure of ring-fused piperidine derivatives. This efficient one-pot protocol involves an organocatalyzed asymmetric aza-Diels–Alder reaction and iminium ion induced cyclization sequence to ultimately deliver heterocyclic compounds with excellent stereoselectivity in high yield, containing three continuous stereogenic centers.

Substituted racemic lactols or cyclic hemiaminals were directly used as nucleophiles in enamine-based asymmetric amination reactions to access enantioenriched α-amino lactones or lactams via a one-pot sequence. The desired products, which are very important building blocks in organic synthesis but difficult to be prepared in the optically enriched form, could be afforded with two stereogenic centers in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. Moreover, starting from the racemic precursors and catalyzed by the enantiomeric pair of the catalyst, all possible stereoisomeric products were discretely provided only after simple column chromatography. Additionally, this protocol provides facile access to several novel bicyclic carbamates, and such drug-like heterocyclic compounds should be potentially useful in medicinal chemistry.

An asymmetric aldol-desymmetrization sequence was developed which provided highly efficient access to important bicyclic oxygen-containing scaffolds with multiple chiral centers and one is a quaternary stereogenic center containing a free hydroxy group. Moreover, starting from racemic precursors, the final products were obtained as two separable diastereomers by flash chromatography. Several other heterocycles could also be easily generated with this strategy.