Asymmetric [4+2] cycloaddition of azlactones with dipolar copper–allenylidene intermediates for chiral 3,4-dhydroquinolin-2-one derivatives

Abstract

In this paper, a pybox-copper catalyzed enantioselective decarboxylative [4+2] cycloaddition reaction of ethynyl benzoxazinanones with azlactones has been developed, which provides optically active 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones in high yields with good enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. In this transformation, the chiral dipolar copper–allenylidene intermediates are kinetically generated via decarboxylative ethynyl benzoxazinanones, followed by the attack of the enolate azlactones to form enantiomerically enriched 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-one structures.