Iron-catalyzed selective construction of indole derivatives via oxidative C(sp3)-H functionalization of indolin-2-ones

Considering the importance of developing powerful catalysts and the pharmacophore characteristics of indole derivatives, we describe a switchable approach for the iron-catalyzed oxidative C(sp3)-H functionalization of indolin-2-ones. Selective transformations displayed excellent activity and chemoselectivity using FeCl2 as the catalyst, air as the oxidant, and alcohol as the solvent. By manipulating the reaction conditions, particularly the choice of solvent, catalyst loading, and reaction sequence, a series of valuable indole derivatives, including isatins and symmetrical and nonsymmetrical isoindigos, were selectively synthesized in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, the gram-scale synthesis of compounds with biological anticancer activity under simple conditions highlights their great potential in practical applications.

An Efficient Route to 3,3'-Biindolinylidene-diones by Iron-Catalyzed Dimerization of Isatins

Iron-catalyzed dimerization of various isatin derivatives is described for the efficient synthesis of 3,3'-biindolinylidene-diones (isoindigos). The reaction provides easy access to self-coupled and cross-coupled 3,3'-indolinylidene-diones that have high relevance to biology and materials. This Fe(0)- or Fe(II)-catalyzed dimerization reaction tolerates a wide range of functionalities, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, alkenyl, nitrile, ether, ester, pyrrolyl, indolyl and carbazolyl groups, including cyclic and acyclic alkyls as well as an alkyl-bearing fatty-alcohol moiety. Especially, the coupling between two distinct isatins provided excellent selectivity for the cross-dimerization with trace of self-couplings. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study established the molecular structure of eight dimerized products. A preliminary mechanistic study of the Fe-catalyzed dimerization supported the radical pathway for the reaction.

Transient Chelating Group-Controlled Stereoselective Rh(I)-Catalyzed Silylative Aminocarbonylation of 2-Alkynylanilines: Entry to (Z)-3-(Silylmethylene)indolin-2-ones

A new, mild acryl transient chelating group-controlled stereoselective Rh(I)-catalyzed silylative aminocarbonylation of 2-alkynylanilines with CO and silanes for producing (Z)-3-(silylmethylene)indolin-2-ones is presented. By using an acryl transient chelating group 2-alkynylanilines...

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by carbonylation reactions

Carbonylation reactions represent one of the most important tool box for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds which are key building blocks in organic chemistry. This paper summarizes the most important advances in this field.

NaI-mediated divergent synthesis of isatins and isoindigoes: a new protocol enabled by an oxidation relay strategy

A new approach for the synthesis of isatins and isoindigoes by an inexpensive and environmentally friendly NaI-mediated transformation is disclosed. The selectivity could be switched by simply varying the solvent, and isatins (using THF) and isoindigoes (using DMSO) could be obtained in moderate to excellent yields.

Synthesis of 2-Mercapto-(2-Oxoindolin-3-Ylidene)Acetonitriles from 3-(4-Chloro-5H-1,2,3-Dithiazol-5-Ylidene)Indolin-2-ones

Alkylidene oxindoles are important functional moieties and building blocks in pharmaceutical and synthetic chemistry. Our interest in biologically active compounds focused our studies on the synthesis of novel oxindoles, bearing on the exocyclic double bond at the C8, CN, and S groups. Extending the potential applications of Appel’s salt, we developed a new synthetic approach by investigating the reactions of C5-substituted 2-oxindoles with 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium chloride (Appel’s salt) to give original (Z)-3-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)indolin-2-one derivatives, and new 2-mercapto-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)acetonitriles via a dithiazole ring-opening reaction. The work described in this article represents further applications of Appel’s salt in the conception of novel heterocyclic rings, in an effort to access original bioactive compounds. Fifteen new compounds were prepared and fully characterized.

Stereoselective Synthesis of 3-(1,3-Diarylallylidene)oxindoles via a Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem Reaction

We have developed an efficient three-component tandem reaction for the synthesis of 3-(1,3-diarylallylidene)oxindoles combining three palladium-catalyzed reactions: the Sonogashira, Heck, and Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. This method allows a stereoselective approach to each (E)- and (Z)-isomer by ligand change and controlling the reaction temperature.

Indium triflate catalysed 3-aza-Cope rearrangement of amino acid derived α,β-unsaturated esters to alkylidene oxindoles

The first examples of amino acid derived α,β-unsaturated esters to Z-alkylidene oxindoles via 3-aza-Cope rearrangement using In(OTf)₃ are reported.

Nonclassical Routes for Amide Bond Formation

The present review offers an overview of nonclassical (e.g., with no pre- or in situ activation of a carboxylic acid partner) approaches for the construction of amide bonds. The review aims to comprehensively discuss relevant work, which was mainly done in the field in the last 20 years. Organization of the data follows a subdivision according to substrate classes: catalytic direct formation of amides from carboxylic and amines ( section 2 ); the use of carboxylic acid surrogates ( section 3 ); and the use of amine surrogates ( section 4 ). The ligation strategies (NCL, Staudinger, KAHA, KATs, etc.) that could involve both carboxylic acid and amine surrogates are treated separately in section 5 .

Synthesis of 3-bromosubstituted pyrroles via palladium-catalyzed intermolecular oxidative cyclization of bromoalkynes with N-allylamines

A novel Pd-catalyzed intermolecular oxidative cyclization of bromoalkynes with N-allylamines to construct 3-bromo-pyrrole derivatives has been developed.