Asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reactions mechanisms

The large scale preparation of the drug candidate 2 was accomplished via the Sugasawa reaction (an ortho-selective Friedel-Craft acylation on anilines) and the asymmetric addition to ketimines. Understanding the reaction mechanism and reaction parameters is the only way to gain confidence that the reactions will perform as required upon scale up. Below we discuss both subjects in detail. 

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