Organocatalytic cascade reactions based on push-pull dienamine platform: Synthesis of highly substituted anilines

A practical and novel one-pot organocatalytic selective process for the cascade synthesis of highly substituted o-hydroxydiarylamines and o-pyrrolidin-1-yldiarylamines is reported. Direct combination of amine-catalyzed cascade Knoevenagel/Michael/aldol condensation/decarboxylation and cascade enamine amination/isoaromatization of alkyl acetoacetates, aldehydes, and nitrosoarenes furnished the highly functionalized anilines with high yields.