A General Catalytic Route to Isoindolinones and Tetrahydroisoquinolines: Application in the Synthesis of (±)-Crispine A

An
unprecedented highly efficient Lewis acid catalyzed one-pot
cascade has been demonstrated as a general catalytic system for the
synthesis of diversely substituted isoindolinones and tetrahydroisoquinolines.
The cascade effects one C–C and two C–N bond-forming
events in one pot. Several interesting transformations of the products
into valuable synthetic intermediates are featured with the successful
total synthesis of (±)-crispine A.