Organocatalytic Aza-Friedel-Crafts/Lactonization Domino Reaction of Naphthols and Phenols with 2-Acetamidoacrylate to Naphtho- and Benzofuranones Bearing a Quaternary Center at the C3 Position.

N-Acetyl ketimine generated from methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate was explored to develop an unprecedented domino aza-Friedel-Crafts/lactonization reaction with naphthols and phenols (including 5-hydroxyindoles). This novel method requires a catalyst loading of only 5 mol % of a phosphoric acid catalyst and provides a new series of 3-NHAc-naphtho- and benzofuranone derivatives bearing tetra-substituted stereogenic centers in moderate-to-good yields. The enantioselective variant using BINOL-derived phosphoric acids was also explored with 1-naphthol, providing the desired product with moderate enantioselectivities (up to 99:1 following recrystallization).