Diastereoselective Synthesis of Substituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines and Isoindolines via a Silver(I) Triflate-Promoted Tandem Reaction

A new silver(I) triflate-promoted tandem reaction comprising the ring opening of aziridines and a Michael reaction has been developed. Using secondary amines or primary amines as nucleophiles, this methodology allows for the synthesis of cis-1-alkyl-4-aminotetrahydroisoquinolines or cis-1,3-disubstituted isoindolines in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities, respectively. Besides, easy operation and mild reaction conditions are also notable features of this tandem reaction.