Oxindoles and Spirocyclic Variations: Strategies for C3 Functionalization. In: Gribble GW, editor. Heterocyclic Scaffolds II:. Berlin: Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 2010. pp. 397-431. [DOI: 10.1007/7081_2010_50]

BF3·OEt2 catalyzed decarbonylative arylation/C-H functionalization of diazoamides with arylaldehydes: synthesis of substituted 3-aryloxindoles

A metal-free BF₃·OEt₂ catalyzed direct decarbonylative arylation of diazoamides with readily accessible aryl aldehydes under an open-air atmosphere was developed to afford 3-aryloxindoles via 1,2-aryl migration with high selectivity. The reaction offers an efficient pathway for 3-arylation of diazoamides under relatively mild conditions, which shows a high level of functional group tolerance of both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups with a broad substrate scope. 3-Aryloxindoles were also obtained by a substituent-controlled chemo- and site-selective C-H bond functionalization of unprotected salicylaldehyde derivatives.

Regio- and stereospecific assembly of dispiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizine-1',5''-thiazolidines] from simple precursors using a one-pot procedure: synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization, and a proposed mechanism of formation

The synthesis and characterization of three new dispiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizine-1',5''-thiazolidine] compounds are reported, together with the crystal structures of two of them. (3RS,1'SR,2'SR,7a'SR)-2'-(4-Chlorophenyl)-1-hexyl-2''-sulfanylidene-5',6',7',7a'-tetrahydro-2'H-dispiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizine-1',5''-thiazolidine]-2,4''-dione, C28H30ClN3O2S2, (I), (3RS,1'SR,2'SR,7a'SR)-2'-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-benzyl-5-methyl-2''-sulfanylidene-5',6',7',7a'-tetrahydro-2'H-dispiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizine-1',5''-thiazolidine]-2,4''-dione, C30H26ClN3O2S2, (II), and (3RS,1'SR,2'SR,7a'SR)-2'-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-fluoro-2''-sulfanylidene-5',6',7',7a'-tetrahydro-2'H-dispiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizine-1',5''-thiazolidine]-2,4''-dione, C22H17ClFN3O2S2, (III), were each isolated as a single regioisomer using a one-pot reaction involving L-proline, a substituted isatin and (Z)-5-(4-chlorobenzylidene)-2-sulfanylidenethiazolidin-4-one [5-(4-chlorobenzylidene)rhodanine]. The compositions of (I)-(III) were established by elemental analysis, complemented by high-resolution mass spectrometry in the case of (I); their constitutions, including the definition of the regiochemistry, were established using NMR spectroscopy, and the relative configurations at the four stereogenic centres were established using single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. A possible reaction mechanism for the formation of (I)-(III) is proposed, based on the detailed stereochemistry. The molecules of (I) are linked into simple chains by a single N-H...N hydrogen bond, those of (II) are linked into a chain of rings by a combination of N-H...O and C-H...S=C hydrogen bonds, and those of (III) are linked into sheets by a combination of N-H...N and N-H...S=C hydrogen bonds.

Transition-metal-free α-arylation of oxindoles via visible-light-promoted electron transfer

An operationally simple photochemical strategy for the direct arylation of oxindoles with (hetero)aryl halides in the absence of both transition metals and photoredox catalysts has been developed. The reaction provides an efficient way to construct various 3-aryloxindole building blocks of pharmaceutical interest at ambient temperature by using household compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as the light source. Preliminarily, mechanistic studies revealed that the intermolecular electron transfer relied on the formation of photon-absorbing electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) complexes between electron-rich oxindole enolates and electron-deficient (hetero)aryl halides, and a radical chain mechanism was operative.

A Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of Oxindoles with Aryl Tosylates

A palladium-catalyzed monoselective C3 arylation of 2-oxindoles with aryl tosylates is described. With the Pd/CM-phos catalyst system, the corresponding 3-arylated oxindoles can be obtained in good to excellent yields (≤97%). The reaction conditions are mild (using 0.5 mol % Pd in general and KF as a base), and functional groups such as methyl ester, NH amido, and enolizable keto moieties are found to be compatible.

Catalytic stereoselective synthesis of diverse oxindoles and spirooxindoles from isatins

A strategy for the efficient two-step synthesis of triazole derivatives of oxindoles and spirooxindoles is presented. Using a common set of N-propargylated isatins, a series of mechanistically distinct stereoselective reactions with different combinations of nucleophiles and catalysts provide access to diverse hydroxy-oxindoles, spiroindolones, and spirocyclic oxazoline structures. The resulting N-propargylated oxindoles are then converted to triazoles using copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. Overall, this strategy affords a 64-member pilot-scale library of diverse oxindoles and spirooxindoles.