The catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) reaction is a powerful protocol for the assembly of three-dimensional cyclic compounds but phenols have been considered challenging substrates. Here, the authors report the chiral phosphoric acidcatalyzed divergent intermolecular CADA reactions of phenols with azoalkenes to obtain tetrahydroindolone and cyclohexadienone products in good yields with excellent ee values.
- Xiang Gao
- Tian-Jiao Han
- Guang-Jian Mei