This review highlights the encouraging advances in hydride transfer-involved dearomatization reaction during the past decade, the content of which is categorized according to the hydride acceptors, namely vinylogous imines and quinone methides.

The three-component reaction of o-aminobenzaldehydes with 5-hydroxyindole and electron-rich arenes has been achieved through HFIP-mediated cascade hydride transfer/dearomative cyclization/CDC-type imidization at room temperature under air.

The H2O-promoted controllable synthesis of diverse 3-carboxyl and 3-acyl substituted tetrahydroquinolines and 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-ones from readily available feedstocks was developed by a hydride transfer strategy.

Switchable construction of oxa-heterocycles with diverse ring sizes has been developed by performing dibrominated-compound-controlled chemoselective cyclization and subsequent derivatization.

Described herein is a practical and scalable protocol for the syntheses of pharmaceutically significant tetrahydroquinazolines in good yields via cascade condensation/[1,5]-hydride transfer/6-endo-trig cyclization, which features mild, salt-free & additive-free conditions; broad substrate scope; and chemoselective N,N-dialkylation of primary amine with two diverse alkyl groups in one step.