Iodine-promoted imino-Diels-Alder reaction of fluorinated imine with enol ether: synthesis of 2-perfluorophenyl tetrahydroquinoline derivatives

Iodine was used to catalyze the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of pentafluorobenzylidineaniline (C₆F₅CHNAr 1) with enol ethers to afford the corresponding tetrahydroquinolines derivatives as a mixture of cis/trans stereoisomers in moderate yields. These products could also be prepared by one-pot, three-component reaction of pentafluorophenylaldehyde, anilines, and enol ethers under the same reaction condition. Mild and neutral reaction conditions, facile experimental procedure, and low price of iodine should make this method attractive for practical synthesis of many fluorinated tetrahydroquinoline derivatives.