Oxazoline as a useful tool in organic synthesis: preparation of 4-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid skeleton

New direct strategy for the synthesis of 4-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines. The key steps are based on oxazoline chemistry: nucleophilic substitution in an ortho-methoxyphenyloxazoline with a Grignard reagent and a 1,6-conjugate addition of a lithium amide to o-styrylphenyloxazoline.