Chiral bronsted acid-mediated enantioselective organocatalytic three-component reaction for the construction of trifluoromethyl-containing molecules

In combination with the advantages of organocatalysisi we have developed a highly enantioselective Friedel-Crafts aminoalkylation of indoles with imines generated in situ from trifluoroacetaldehyde methyl herniacetal and aniline. Novel chiral trifluoromethyl-containing compounds were obtained in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. This methodology was further extended to difluoroacetaldehyde methyl hemiacetal to demonstrate the broad scope of substrates.