Diastereoselective Synthesis of Structurally Diverse Spiro‐Thiazolones via Yb(OTf) ₃ ‐Promoted Cascade [1,5]‐hydride Transfer/Cyclization

A Yb(OTf) 3 ‐catalyzed redox‐neutral cascade reaction involving a [1,5]‐hydride transfer/cyclization between thiazol‐4‐ones and 2‐aminobenzaldehydes has been developed. This method provides direct access to a series of spiro‐thiazolone‐containing tetrahydroquinoline skeletons, which are of potential pharmaceutical interest, in good to excellent yields with high diastereoselectivity. This protocol has the features of being additive‐free, having a broad scope, operational simplicity, and high step‐ and atom economy.