Asymmetric synthesis of 4-aryl dihydroisoquinolin-3-ones and 2-aryl morpholin-3-ones using AgOTf-activated α-bromo arylacetate

A novel asymmetric synthetic strategy to prepare 4-aryl-dihydroisoquinolinones has been developed through a highly regioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzylamine derivatives with (αR)-α-bromo arylacetates and subsequent facile lactamization. In addition, an efficient asymmetric synthesis of 2-aryl morpholinones is demonstrated with 2-aminoethanol derivatives using the same convenient substitution-lactamization protocol.