A facile asymmetric synthesis of 1-substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline based on a chiral ligand-mediated addition of organolithium to imine

Abstract

A two-step methodology involving an asymmetric addition of organolithium to an imine and subsequent Moffat oxidation as the key steps provided a new synthetic way to the optically and biologically active 1-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines.