[3+2] Cascade Ring-Closing/Ring-Opening Strategy: Access to N‑Indene-Tethered Amino Alcohols

An unprecedented atom-economic redox neutral regioselective Rh­(III)-catalyzed cascade [3+2] annulation of 2-aryl oxazoline with α,β-unsaturated nitro olefins has been accomplished, furnishing a novel set of nitro-functionalized indene-tethered amino alcohols through a synergistic ring-closing/ring-opening strategy via the formation of two new C–C bonds and the regioselective cleavage of the C2–O bond of oxazoline under silver free mild reaction conditions with a broad substrate scope.