Asymmetric tandem reactions: New synthetic strategies*

The use of domino and multicomponent reactions in asymmetric synthesis is constantly increasing nowadays. This allows for the synthesis of complex molecules in a single synthetic sequence, usually with high atom economy. Herein, we report three examples of new asymmetric tandem reactions recently developed in our laboratories, giving rise to new families of enantiomerically enriched fluorinated and nonfluorinated heterocycles. Thus, 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs) bearing fluorinated substituents at C6 were assembled by means of a Hantzsch-type reaction; cyclic β-amino carbonyl derivatives were prepared using a cross-metathesis (CM)–intramolecular aza-Michael sequence; while fluorinated indolines were obtained, for the first time, in a tandem nucleophilic addition–intramolecular aromatic substitution.