Rhodium catalyzed synthesis of isoindolinones via C-H activation of N-benzoylsulfonamides

An efficient approach to a wide range of isoindolinones, including 3-monosubstituted and 3,3-disubstituted isoindolinones, from the annulation of N-benzoylsulfonamides with olefins and diazoacetate has been developed. The transformation is broadly compatible with both terminal and internal olefins. Moreover, diazoacetate is for the first time incorporated into an amide-directed C-H functionalization reaction. Specifically, the rhodium complex [{RhCl₂Cp*}₂] enables the in situ dimerization of diazoacetate in addition to its role in catalyzing C-H functionalization/cross-coupling.     

Palladium mediated synthesis of isoindolinones and isoquinolinones

The palladium-catalyzed reactions of 2-iodo-N-substituted benzamides 5-10 with acrylic esters 11-14 led to N-substituted-3-alkylisoindolinone esters 15-22 in good yields. The esters of isoindolinones 15-22 underwent hydrolysis reactions yielding the N-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-oxoisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid 26-31 in good yields.