Cascade aza-Prins reactions

Saturated nitrogen-containing heterocycles are the basis of a plethora of natural products, including alkaloids and aza-sugars, and a recent survey also demonstrated that the piperidine ring is the most abundant nitrogen-containing heterocycle in FDA-approved pharmaceutically active and commercially available drugs, being found in 72 drugs. The aza-Prins and related reactions have emerged as a rapid and highly efficient method for the preparation of 6-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles. This chapter reviews recent developments in the aza-Prins reaction, particularly focussing on reports since 2000.