Direct Access of the Chiral Quinolinyl Core of Cinchona Alkaloids via a Brønsted Acid and Chiral Amine Co-catalyzed Chemo- and Enantioselective α-Alkylation of Quinolinylmethanols with Enals.

A strategy for the facile construction of the chiral quinolinylmethanolic structure, a core featured in cinchona alkaloids, is reported. A new reactivity is harnessed by TfOH-promoted chemoselective activation of α-C-H over O-H bond in quinolinylmethanols. The new reactivity is successfully engineered with an iminium catalysis in a synergistic manner to create a powerful conjugate addition-cyclization cascade process for synthesis of chiral quinoline derived γ-butyrolactones in good yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities. The method enables the first total synthesis of natural product broussonetine in three steps.