Organocatalytic Asymmetric Reduction of Fluorinated Alkynyl Ketimines

Highly chemoselective catalytic transfer hydrogenation of fluorinated alkynyl ketimines has been achieved by employing chiral phosphoric acid as a catalyst with benzothiazoline as a hydride source, providing the corresponding chiral fluorinated propargylamines in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. In addition, iodocyclization of fluorinated propargylamine affords chiral 3-iodo-2-(trifluoromethyl)-1,2-dihydroquinoline, which can be easily converted to 2-(trifluoromethyl)- 1,2-dihydroquinoline derivatives with the selective COX -2 inhibitory activity.