New approach to 4-phenyl-β-aminotetralin from 4-(3-halophenyl)tetralen-2-ol phenylacetate

Mixed trifluoroacetyl phenylacetyl anhydride and 3-halostyrenes (fluoro, chloro, and bromo) or vinylcycloalkanes (cyclohexyl and cyclooctyl), undergo cascade Friedel–Crafts cycli-acylalkylation, enolization, and O-acylation to give 4-substituted tetralen-2-ol phenylacetates, without additional solvent in good yields. Base alcoholysis of 4-phenyltetralen-2-ol phenylacetate reveals the tetral-2-one for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation. Bromophenyltetralen-2-ol phenylacetate undergoes Suzuki coupling, and provides a short route to trans-4-phenyl-β-aminotetralin.