Enantioselective Synthesis of Functionalized 4‑Aryl Hydrocoumarins and 4‑Aryl Hydroquinolin-2-ones via Intramolecular Vinylogous Rauhut–Currier Reaction of <i>para</i>-Quinone Methides

A novel strategy for the asymmetric construction of functionalized 4-aryl-3,4-dihydrocoumarins and 4-aryl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones via an intramolecular vinylogous Rauhut–Currier reaction of para-quinone methides (p-QMs) under the bifunctional catalysis of chiral amine-phosphine is described. This intramolecular mode for the catalytic enantioselective 1,6-conjugate addition of p-QMs has been explored for the first time, delivering two types of synthetically important heterocycles in high yields and enantioselectivites.