The intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ortho-substituted 1,1,1-trifluoromethylstyrene-derived nitrones is described. Tricyclic fused isoxazolidines were obtained as major or exclusive products, in contrast to the case for nonfluorinated substrates, which rendered the bridged derivatives. This change in the regioselectivity was attributed to the electronic and, particularly, steric requirements of the trifluoromethyl group in comparison to the methyl group. It is worth mentioning that trifluoromethylstyrenes have been employed for the first time as dipolarophiles in a 1,3-dipolar intramolecular cycloaddition reaction, leading to the corresponding isoxazolidines bearing a quaternary trifluoromethyl moiety. Finally, the synthetic utility of the developed methodology has been illustrated with the synthesis of a family of bicyclic fluorinated 1,3-amino alcohols.

The total synthesis of (+)-anaferine and (−)-dihydrocuscohygrine is described. Bidirectional cross metathesis/double intramolecular aza-Michael reactions were the key steps.

A triple-tandem protocol for the synthesis of the pyrrolizidinone skeleton has been devised. It involves a cross metathesis–intramolecular aza-Michael reaction–intramolecular Michael addition tandem sequence, starting from N-pentenyl-4-oxo-2-alkenamides and conjugated ketones. In the presence of two cooperative catalysts, namely the second-generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst and (R)-TRIP-derived BINOL phosphoric acid, this multiple-relay catalytic process takes place in good yields and outstanding levels of diastero- and enantioselectivity with the simultaneous generation of three contiguous stereocenters

The asymmetric intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides was developed for fluorinated dipolarophiles, being the RF group crucial for selectivity.

The synthesis of 3-alkyliden-2,3-dihydro-4-quinolones has been accomplished in a domino fashion through a three-step sequence that comprised an initial aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction, followed by a 1,3rearrangement and an intramolecular amination. Starting from readily available aryl vinyl ketones and Ntosyl imines, the reaction with PPh 3 , CsOAc and CuI in CH 3 CN gave rise, in good overall yields, to final 3alkyliden-4-quinolone derivatives, valuable scaffolds in medicinal chemistry. The simultaneous addition of two bases, PPh 3 and CsOAc, was found to be crucial for the success of the process. While PPh 3 promoted the reversible aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction, CsOAc triggered the subsequent 1,3-rearrangement, which shifted the initial equilibrium and allowed to complete the synthetic sequence upon the addition of CuI.