Elusive 2-aminofuran Diels–Alder substrates for a straightforward synthesis of polysubstituted anilines

The first multicomponent coupling of isocyanides, α,β-unsaturated carbonylic compounds and dienophiles, based on the trapping of unstable intermediate 2-aminofurans, is described. This novel tandem [4 + 1]-[4 + 2] cycloaddition is efficiently catalysed by yttrium triflate and constitutes an operationally simple and highly convergent approach to a variety of polysubstituted anilines. Moreover, this methodology permits the use of tert-butylisocyanide as a convertible isocyanide to yield directly N-unprotected anilines in the same pot.