Highly diastereoselective multicomponent cascade reactions: Efficient synthesis of functionalized 1-indanols

Trapped: A Michael-aldol-type cascade reaction including the trapping of an oxonium ylide through a delayed proton shift leads to the formation of multiple stereocenters in a mild one-pot synthesis. Enantiomerically pure indanol derivatives with four stereocenters and a stereogenic quaternary carbon center were easily obtained through this method in moderate to good yields.