Noncovalent interactions as a solution for the metal-free one-pot asymmetric synthesis of (S)-2-aryl-2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-quinolones.

4-Quinolones compose a remarkable class of compounds that show various pharmacological applications. In particular, the activities of both (S) and (R) enantiomers of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-quinolones have made them an object of befitting interest for asymmetric synthesis. Although readily yielded as a racemic mixture from an one-pot reaction between 2-aminoacetophenone and benzaldehyde, a pathway for the metal-free enantioselective one-pot synthesis of the (S) isomer is not completely clear.