Matched combinations of Brønsted or Lewis acids with suitable pro-electrophiles and secondary amine organocatalysts enable the novel enantioselective syntheses of carbamoyl dihydroquinoline and tetrahydropyridine derivatives with concomitant formation of two stereocenters. A short formal asymmetric synthesis of (2R,2′R)-threo-methylphenidate (Ritalin) is also described.
