Diastereoselective, multicomponent access to trans-2-aryl-4-arylamino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines via an AA'BC sequential four-component reaction and their application to 2-arylquinoline synthesis.

The CAN-catalyzed reaction between 3,5-disubstituted anilines, vinyl ethers and aromatic aldehydes leads to trans-2-aryl-4-arylaminotetrahydroquinolines, in an AA'BC sequential multicomponent transformation related to the Povarov reaction that was also extended to the use of a second aniline as the C-4 substituent. The unusual trans stereochemistry was explained by stabilization of the corresponding intermediate by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The presence of the 4-anilino substituent allowed adapting the method to the synthesis of 4-unsubstituted 2-arylquinolines, by treatment of the crude product from the MCR with FeCl(3) in methanol.

One-pot access to a library of structurally diverse nicotinamide derivatives via a three-component formal aza [3 + 3] cycloaddition.

The three-component formal [3 + 3] aza-annulation between chalcones, β-ketoamides, and ammonium acetate in the presence of CAN as a Lewis acid affords good to excellent yields of highly substituted nicotinamides or their fused derivatives. This transformation leads to the formation of one C-C and two C-N bonds in a single synthetic operation and involves up to five individual steps.

Cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate is an excellent, general catalyst for the Friedländer and Friedländer-Borsche quinoline syntheses: very efficient access to the antitumor alkaloid luotonin A.

The use of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as a catalyst of the Friedländer reaction allows the synthesis of polysubstituted quinoline derivatives in excellent yields, avoiding the traditional harshly basic or acidic conditions. Unlike most other previously known reagents, CAN allows double condensations and is also an excellent catalyst for the Borsche variation of the Friedländer reaction, which has been applied to the very efficient synthesis of the antitumor alkaloid luotonin A.