A one-pot, three-component approach to functionalised tetrahydroisoquinolines using domino Heck-aza-Michael reactions

A one-pot, three-component method incorporating a domino Heck–aza-Michael reaction has been developed for the rapid synthesis of functionalised tetrahydroisoquinolines. Following the in situ generation of an acrylamide, a domino process involving intermolecular Heck reaction and subsequent intramolecular aza-Michael addition affords tetrahydroisoquinolines bearing C1-acetamide functionality.