Total facial selectivity of a D-erythrosyl aromatic imine in [4π + 2π] cycloadditions; synthesis of 2-alkylpolyol 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines.

Different electron-rich dienophiles were combined with the imine obtained from 2,4-O-benzylidene-d-erythrose and p-anisidine furnishing enantiomerically pure tetrahydroquinolines, by inverse electron-demand [4π + 2π] cycloaddition. The imine was also reacted with 2-substituted electron-rich 1,3-butadienes giving the diastereomeric pure product, resulting from the normal electron demand cycloaddition. The facial selectivity of both processes is proposed on the basis of a 1,4-relationship between the hydroxyl group and the nitrogen atom in the chiral N-(p-methoxyphenyl)imine derivative.