[GRAPHICS]
Highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation (> 98% e
e) and Sharpless epoxidation (> 90% ee) of o-nitrocinnamyl substrates lead
to intermediates that can be transformed into tetrahydroquinoline derivativ
es, Starting materials are produced in high-yielding Heck reactions of an o
-nitroaryl iodide and alpha -acetamidoacrylate or methyl acrylate.