A novel strategy based on phase transfer catalysis for the diastereoselective and enantioselective direct assembly of unsymmetric β,β-diaryl-α-amino acid esters via 1,6-conjugate addition of para-quinone methides and glycine derivatives is described. This protocol also provides an alternative route to the synthetically interesting functionalized chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline and its analogues.

A novel DBU-mediated stereoselective spirocyclopropanation of para-quinone methides with sulfonium salts has been developed on the basis of the mode involving a 1,6-conjugate addition/intramolecular dearomatizing cyclization cascade. This reaction provides a mild and effective method for the assembly of synthetically and structurally interesting spirocyclopropanyl para-dienones. The feasibility for the enantioselective access to such functionalized para-dienones has also been explored by using the axially chiral sulfonium salt. Importantly, the regioselective ring openings of the related spirocyclopropanyl para-dienones have been achieved divergently.

A novel strategy for the asymmetric construction of functionalized 4-aryl-3,4-dihydrocoumarins and 4-aryl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones via an intramolecular vinylogous Rauhut-Currier reaction of para-quinone methides (p-QMs) under the bifunctional catalysis of chiral amine-phosphine is described. This intramolecular mode for the catalytic enantioselective 1,6-conjugate addition of p-QMs has been explored for the first time, delivering two types of synthetically important heterocycles in high yields and enantioselectivites.

A novel base-mediated tandem spirocyclopropanation/rearrangement reaction of vinyl p-quinone methides (p-VQMs) with sulfonium salts is described. The unprecedented reactivity of p-VQMs was explored for the first time in the spiroannulation cascade, providing a stereoselective approach to the construction of synthetically interesting, densely functionalized spirocyclopentenyl p-dienones.

The asymmetric catalytic 1,6-addition of p-QMs with racemic oxindoles under the bifunctional catalysis of C2-symmetric dimeric Cinchona-derived squaramide is described. This tertiary amine-squaramide catalyzed reaction provides a diastereoselective and enantioselective approach to the effective assembly of diverse diarylmethine-substituted oxindoles having vicinal tertiary and quaternary stereocenters.