N-Chloroformylimidazolidinone Enolates as 1,3-Dipolar Reagents for the Stereoselective Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydroisoquinolones

N-Chloroformyl imidazolidinone derivatives of enantiopure amino acids may be deprotonated to give remarkably well-behaved enolates with both nucleophilic and electrophilic character. The enolates undergo diastereoselective C-alkylation with benzylic halides. A Bischler–Napieralski-like cyclization reaction onto the chloroformyl group, induced by either nucleophilic (KI, 2,6-lutidine) or Lewis acid (AlCl3) catalysis, gives substituted 3,4-dihydroisoquinolone derivatives in enantioenriched form. The reaction sequence constitutes a formal [3 + 3] route to the six-membered lactam ring of the dihydroisoquinolones.